Warwick cops make three burglary arrests

Warwick - In what local officials are describing as superb police work, Warwick police have charged three men with the rash of recent house burglaries in Warwick and surrounding areas. Warwick Police Chief Thomas McGovern, Jr. made the announcement on Sept. 8, saying that police had been working around the clock to catch the burglars. Arrested were Scott Michael Utter, 38, of Port Jervis; Joseph Feuerstack, 32, of Bloomingburg; and John Michael MacChurch, 37, of Slate Hill. The men were transported to the Orange County Jail where they are being held on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. Police believe that the men had burglarized or attempted to burglarize seven homes within the Town of Warwick, as well as others in Orange and Sullivan counties and in Sussex County, N.J. The perpetrators would knock on a door or ring a bell during the day to see if anyone was at home. If someone answered, the burglars would give a lame excuse and move on. People became suspicious and reported descriptions of the men and their vehicle to the police. Shortly after noon on Thursday, Sept. 6, police efforts paid off. Warwick Police Officer Shawn Tetzlaff, working in plain clothes and in an unmarked car, spotted a vehicle on Old Ridge Road that fit the description witnesses had given. The appearances of the occupants also matched a composite sketch Warwick Police Officer Michelle Kozlowski had drawn from witness descriptions. Tetzlaff pulled the driver over and inspected the vehicle, finding a large quantity of jewelry and other merchandise. The suspects argued that they were just helping someone move. When Officer Tetzlaff discovered the men also had two unlicensed handguns, he called for assistance and completed the arrest. All three suspects had previous felony convictions and two had served time in prison. Property that the Warwick Police recovered tied these suspects to a burglary committed in the Town of Cornwall as well as to property taken from a nearby Warwick residence on East Ridge Road that same day. Warwick officers Jason Brasier and John Mc Andrews then inventoried over 600 stolen items the owners said were worth approximately $27, 500. All three men have been charged with second-degree burglary, a Class C felony; two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D felony and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a Class D felony. The investigation is continuing and additional property has been recovered. Warwick Police are working with the N.Y. State Police, the Vernon, N.J. Township Police, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Chester Police, the Town of Cornwall Police, the Village of Florida Police Department and with other agencies in an effort to solve other burglaries the suspects may have committed. “The hard work of the entire department and the outstanding work of Officer Shawn Tetzlaff, who apprehended these suspects, deserve the praise of the entire community,” said Chief McGovern. “We thank the current Warwick Town Board and Supervisor Sweeton in particular, for their support of this department and public safety by authorizing additional staffing to address these crimes.”