Suspect in Custody After Saugerties Smokers Choice Smashed Front Door & Burglary

A day after the front glass door of a Smokers Choice store in Saugerties, NY was smashed in, and cash was stolen out of a register, Saugerties Police have reported that their investigation has led to the arrest of a local man.

Burglar Alarm, Smashed Front Glass Door, Money Missing from Register at Smokers Choice, Saugerties

In a press release from the Saugerties Police Department on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, Chief Joseph Singara shared the news of an arrest following a burglary earlier in the week. It was reported that on Monday, August 29th, around 7:30 am, a commercial burglar alarm was triggered at Smokers Choice at 1 Ulster Avenue in the Village of Saugerties.

Upon arrival from the Saugerties Police, officers found the front glass door to have been smashed. Officers conducted a search of the building and did not find anyone inside.  The report goes on to detail that when management personnel from the Smokers Choice store arrived, it was determined that cash proceeds had been taken from the cash register.

Burglary Suspect Apprehended Tuesday, August 30, 2022

The Saugerties Police Detectives Division initiated an investigation that determined Joseph Monarch, a 51-year-old Kingston resident, was responsible for the burglary.  Monarch was located in the City of Kingston on Tuesday afternoon, just after 3:30 pm by the Saugerties Police Detectives, along with assistance from the New York State Police and Kingston Police Department.

The 51-year-old Kingston resident, who was classified as a 'predicate felon' in the police report, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and transported to Saugerties Police Headquarters where he was processed on Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, both felony charges.  Monarch was later arraigned in the Village of Saugerties Justice Court and then remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail.

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According to information found on nycourts.gov, a predicate felon is essentially a repeat offender; someone that has been convicted of a felony within ten years of a past felony conviction.  NY Courts indicate that there is a 'sharp increase in the minimum sentence that a Judge can order for a predicate felon.'