TROOPERS NAB TWO BURGLARS
RICHFORD: When Amanda and Billy Pecor came home to their East Richford Slide Road home on Sunday, November 27th, something was amiss.
The front door had been kicked in, and several items were missing, according to Vermont State Police. A new flat screen television, as well as a snowmobile helmet, were missing.
When police arrived, they spoke with neighbors to get more information. One neighbor said they saw a vehicle leave the area they were suspicious of, and they knew the driver to be 27-year-old Michael Cruz of Fairfield.
The witness also said that Cruz’ girlfriend, Felicia Hanvey, 30, of East Fairfield, was in the vehicle with him.
In following up with the lead, police knocked on the front door of Cruz’ East Fairfield Home. When there was no answer, they tried knocking on the side door.
According to police, they could see inside Cruz’ residence, where they could see a flat screen TV on the floor that matched the description given by the victims in the case.
Over the course of the next few minutes, police would try knocking on the rest of the doors to the home, but nobody would come to the door.
According to State Trooper Bruzzi, troopers returned to the side door to knock again but noticed that the television had been moved from the view of the door.
After obtaining a search warrant, police said they seized the home and searched it, looking for the missing items from the earlier burglary in Richford.
They came across both the missing snowmobile helmet as well as the television, hidden under a pile of clothes in the laundry room of the home.
Both suspects were held for the night, lacking the $2,500 bail set in the case.
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Hanvey was arrested in February for DUI, and again in March for violating her conditions of release, driving with a suspended license. Cruz has previously been arrested for driving with a suspended license, excessive speed (101MPH in a 65MPH zone), DUI. It is unclear if any of those charges became convictions.
Cruz was also arrested for and convicted of a federal crime in 2013- possessing a firearm while using illegal drugs. In that case, he pleaded guilty to possessing two pistols, cocaine, marijuana, and more than $2,000 in cash. His fines, in that case, racked added up to more than $8,500. It is unclear if he served any time in connection with that crime.
Cruz and Hanvey are both scheduled to be arraigned at 1:00PM on Monday, November 28th on burglary charges.
