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The arrests resulted from an incident on Tuesday, Oct. 17 just after 12:30 p.m., when Yorktown Police officers were sent to Dick's Sporting Goods at the Jefferson Valley Mall to investigate a larceny.
According to the department, arriving officers saw two men fitting the caller's description who were walking through the mall's parking lot with large bags. When police got closer to the duo, one of the men began running away. He was quickly apprehended a short distance away and authorities began looking into the incident.
An investigation determined that the two men had acted together and had placed 14 pairs of pants and two jackets, worth $1,345, into the bags they had been holding. They had then left the store without making an attempt to pay for the merchandise, according to police.
Authorities also added that the duo was found carrying a screwdriver and wire cutters in order to remove the security tags on the stolen clothing. One of the men had also allegedly been carrying a quantity of heroin.
The suspects were identified as 53-year-old Melvin Hines and 66-year-old Leonard Council. Police described both men as homeless from New Rochelle. The men were both charged with:
- Fourth-degree grand larceny;
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property;
- Possession of burglar's tools.
Additionally, Council was charged with resisting arrest and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Both suspects were remanded to Westchester County Jail and will appear in the Yorktown Justice Court on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
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