Thanks to two Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) and their connection with a local shop owner, a wanted fugitive from Ohio was arrested in Brooklyn. Five weeks ago, a prisoner convicted of possession of $600,000 worth of heroin escaped from county jail in Champaign, Ohio. Unbeknownst to local authorities, the fugitive fled to New York City in an attempt to avoid being recaptured by law enforcement agencies.
While the manhunt for this fugitive continued, Sergeant Cecchini and Police Officer Walters received a crucial tip from a local shop owner that led to the man’s arrest. A Brooklyn shop owner became suspicious when a man repeatedly visited his store asking for a job and making general threats. Guided by concern and intuition, the shop owner Googled “most wanted fugitives” and discovered that the man visiting his store was wanted. Sergeant Cecchini, of the 75 Precinct, explained some of the red flags that led the store owner to reach out to NYPD authorities:
“Not using a real name when applying for a job normally would raise some level of suspicion. He also said he got into some trouble out west.”
When the fugitive returned to the shop, the owner immediately called the officers from the 75 Precinct. Sergeant Cecchini, Officer Walters, and four more officers responded to the scene. Considering the store is located in a crowded commercial area, the officers followed the fugitive for several blocks until they could safely approach him. Once he was on a desolate street, the officers strategically set up a perimeter and boxed the fugitive in. The wanted man was arrested without incident and was forthcoming with information.
