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Police have identified the person shot to death by a 19-year-old man Sunday in a Hudson Valley apartment complex.
Lawrence Burns, 19, of Brooklyn, was found dead around 3:37 a.m. Sunday, by members of the Village of Monticello Police Department and New York State Police, while responding to a 911 call reporting a body on the ground, said Monticello Police Lt. Mark Johnstone.
A preliminary autopsy revealed that Burns suffered gunshots wounds to the head, Johnstone said.
An investigation of the homicide by members of the Village of Monticello Police Department, in conjunction with the New York State Police, Town of Fallsburg Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, led to the arrest of Howard A. Sanders, 19, of Loch Sheldrake on Monday, he added.
Sanders was charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with evidence.
The investigation determined that Burns was killed inside an apartment in the complex, which was only a short distance away from where his body was discovered. A search warrant was executed at Apartment #30, which resulted in the seizure of physical evidence related to the homicide, Johnstone said.
Crack cocaine and Suboxone were also discovered inside the apartment, for which Gerrod D. Lucas, 22, was charged with two counts possession of a controlled substance. He is being held at the Sullivan County Jail on $25,000 bond,
Sanders is being held at the Sullivan County Jail without bail pending further court action.
The village of Monticello Police Chief Robert Mir would like to thank all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation for their assistance and support, which resulted in the rapid arrest of Sanders.
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