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Steven Santiago, of Manhattan, and Ivan Bonilla, of the Bronx, were found guilty at trial of two counts of burglary, grand larceny and attempted grand larceny, all felonies. A jury convicted them in less than an hour.
On June 11 last year, Santiago and Bonilla broke into a Halstead Avenue home in Harrison. When the homeowner walked in on the burglary in progress, both men jumped out of a second story window, with one of them suffering a broken bone. They then traveled to St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. said that police investigators in Harrison “scoured” town surveillance video and identified the getaway car. They tracked that car to the registered owner, who provided GPS information, which helped identify Bonilla and Santiago as suspects.
Scarpino noted that a similar burglary took place in New Rochelle on May 29 last year inside a Fountain Place apartment. The two entered through the front door but escaped using a rear fire escape when they were caught by the apartment owner. GPS and license plate readers in New Rochelle determined that the two were involved in that burglary as well.
As a mandatory persistent violent felony offender, Santiago, 31, faces life in prison, while Bonilla faces two consecutive 15-year sentences. They are scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on July 3.
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