Ithaca, N.Y. — Two people seen on the roof of Firehouse Subs and three people seen on the roof of Home Depot were arrested in separate incidents this weekend amid a rash of break-ins at Ithaca businesses.
Ithaca police have been trying to catch the burglar or burglars responsible for more than 10 break-ins at area stores over the last few weeks.
None of the five people arrested this weekend in the rooftop incidents has been charged in connection with the burglaries.
However, “the City of Ithaca has had a number of commercial burglaries reported of late, so responses to incidents of this nature are significant,” Lt. Scott N. Garin said in a news release.
Here’s the account police gave of each burglary:
1 — Firehouse Subs at 740 South Meadow Street
Firehouse Subs had been burglarized on Aug. 8 and Aug. 12. Police were called there again Friday night around 11:30 p.m. for a report of people on the roof of the store.
There they found two men and arrested them.
“Access to the business did not appear to have been made and nothing was reported to have been stolen from within,” Lt. Garin said.
Police say one of the men was found with drugs and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and the misdemeanor of criminal trespass. The second man was charged with criminal trespass.
Both men have been released.
2 — Home Depot at 410 Elmira Road
At around 11:55 p.m., police were called to Home Depot for a report of people on the roof.
“This area has been the site of a number of commercial burglaries this year,” Garin said.
Ithaca police caught three people fleeing the area and interviewed two people in a vehicle nearby.
The three seen fleeing — two men and an underage teenager — were arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespass. They have not also not been identified in connections with the Elmira Road burglaries.
