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On Monday, Nov. 29, around 9:20 a.m., the Sullivan County 911 received a report of an assault that had just occurred on the grounds of the Hebrew Day School in Lake Kiamesha, said Undersheriff Eric Chaboty, of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office.
Units from the Sheriff’s Office, Fallsburg, and Monticello Police Departments converged on the scene where they learned that when the school’s caretaker returned to his residence, he was attacked by a man who came out of his bedroom wearing a ski mask and armed with a pistol, Chaboty said.
The man struck the victim in the head and fled with several thousand dollars in cash. The suspect was chased on foot, down Gibbers Road, by one of the school administrators who got a partial license plate and description of a getaway vehicle, he added.
Deputies conducted a search of the area and learned that the getaway vehicle struck a tree stump while fleeing the scene on a back road.
Using a special computer search, deputies matched up the car parts left at the scene with the partial license plate reported by the witness. The investigation led them to a trailer park on Route 55 in Grahamsville.
Over the next week, Sheriff’s detectives cast a wide net, conducting numerous interviews, reviewing local video surveillance, and executing several search warrants.
On Monday, Dec. 6, deputies arrested Clifford D. Gildersleeve, age 58, of Grahamsville.
He was charged with:
- Burglary
- Robbery
- Criminal possession of a weapon
- Grand larceny
- Menacing
Gildersleeve is being held at the Sullivan County Jail without bail.
The alleged getaway driver, Robert A. Guadagno, age 49, of Grahamsville was also arrested and charged with burglary.
He is also being held without bail.
Sheriff Mike Schiff commended his staff, especially Deputy Sheriff John Panos who took the lead in this investigation.
“Our deputy sheriffs are dedicated to getting violent criminals off of our streets and out of our neighborhoods”, said the Sheriff.
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