Years Long Orange County Burglary Case Ends with Guilty Plea Agreement

Late last week news broke from the Orange County District Attorney's Office marking the effective conclusion of a long standing burglary investigation that originally took place back in 2022.

Wawayanda Burglary

The details of the particular case were laid out in the official press release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office as well as official court documents. The event took place during the early morning hours of October 16, 2022 at approximately 3:30am.

The suspect on trial identified as now 33-year old, Owen Horace of Monticello as well as two other individuals, entered a residence in the Town of Wawayanda with the intention of stealing money from within. One of the other suspects who was armed with a handgun reportedly "pistol whipped" a victim, which caused physical injury. In the action, the gun also discharged.

The press release goes on to state that after the gun discharged, it caused Horace and the other suspects to flea the scene of the crime. A long-term investigation by law enforcement eventually lead to the arrest of Horace, though the press release did not mention any other information regarding the other suspects with Horace during the event.

The Guilty Plea

The news which effectively has brought this investigation to a close is that the suspect Owen Horace as well as the District Attorney's Office had an on the record plea agreement for his role in the crime.

According to the press release, Horace agreed to a plea guilty for the crime of Burglary in the First Degree. For his agreement, the People will recommend that Horace be sentenced to to twelve (12) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision.

Similar Stories: New York State Police Officer Suspended and Now Facing Charges in Alleged Robbery

This is a significant detail because in the state of New York, a First Degree Burglary charge if convicted could result in a maximum penalty of up to 25 years in prison due to it being considered a "violent felony". Sentencing for a crime like this can also be impacted by a variety of other factors like whether or not the accused has any previous convictions.

Get our free mobile app

The press release concluded with a statement directly from the Orange County DA David M. Hoovler where he stressed the significance of the crime at hand while praising law enforcement and reinforcing his offices stance towards violent crime....

The terrifyingly violent actions of this defendant merit the significant sentence that awaits him...I applaud the careful work by the law enforcement officers involved in the investigation of this case.The prosecution of violent felonies remains the hallmark priority of my Office....

With the plea agreement on record, Horace is now expected to be back in court later this year on October 17, 2024 for his sentencing, all most two years exactly from the night of the crime.