Monticello Burglary Ring Busted After Foot Chase Through Woods, Police Say

A trio of alleged burglars who jumped from a second-floor window and led police on a foot chase through the woods have been arrested and charged for a variety of crimes, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Three males ranging in age from 17 to 32 who had been operating a burglary ring for “some time” were caught red-handed Sunday, Dec. 15 in an intense roundup in Monticello, police said.

Around 8:45 p.m. Sunday, Sullivan County Sheriff’s officers responded to the report of a burglary at the Forest Park Estates complex on Anawana Lake Road in the Town of Thompson. When authorities arrived on scene they found the front door to the residence had been damaged, and entered the building to find the three suspects in action, who then evaded officers by jumping from windows on the second floor of the house, police said.

Police chased the suspects on foot into the nearby woods, calling for assistance from the Monticello, State Police, and State K-9 Unit. Some two hours later a 17-year-old was found by the K-9 Unit about 100 yards deep into the woods and taken into custody, police said.

An investigation ensued, and on Monday, Dec. 16, detectives located and arrested Anthony Gilson, 19, and Tracy Sanders, 32, both of Monticello, in connection with the burglary that took place the night before.

Details revealed the trio had been burglarizing numerous seasonal residences in the area over a period of time, police said.

All three were charged with 25 counts of felony burglary and felony criminal mischief. The 17-year-old, who was not named by police due to his age, was issued an appearance ticket under New York’s “Raise the Age Law” and released pending a court appearance.

Gilson and Sanders were both arraigned, with bail set at $20,000 for Gilson and no bail set for Sanders.