Man accused of burglaries, injuring officer after arrest

Apr. 20—Otsego County sheriff's deputies said Tuesday a Hartwick man was arrested Sunday, April 17, on charges connected to several commercial building burglaries.

According to a media release, Clayton A. Monroe, 66, was arrested after an investigation into a series of burglaries during March and April. On April 17 at about 2:30 a.m., the release said, deputies were dispatched to a report of a burglar alarm activation at a local business. When deputies arrived, they discovered the business had been broken in to and multiple automated teller machines were tampered with.

While on scene conducting an investigation, a deputy saw a vehicle exiting a nearby parking lot without any operating lights on. Deputies stopped the car and identified Monroe as a suspect in the burglary, the release said. Monroe faces two counts of third-degree burglary, a charge of third-degree grand larceny, a charge of third-degree criminal mischief and a charge of second-degree assault. All of those charges are felonies. He was also charged with several misdemeanors, including two county of fourth-degree criminal mischief, possession of burglar tools, third-degree assault and other, unnamed misdemeanor charges.

Monroe was taken to the Otsego County Correctional Facility where, deputies said, he "failed to comply with procedural booking procedures" and in the process injured a corrections officer. The officer required medical attention at Bassett Hospital.

Deputies said information obtained throughout the course of the investigation "allowed investigators to link the defendant to multiple other burglaries and larcenies that occurred in Otsego County." They said the investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

Monroe was arraigned in Otsego County Centralized Arraignment and remanded to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on $250 cash bail and $500 surety bond, the release said.