Man Charged In String Of Commercial Thefts, Robbery: Police

RIVERHEAD, NY — A homeless parolee was arrested and charged with a string of thefts around the Riverhead area, police said.

According to Riverhead Town Police, on July 13 at 1:08 p.m., community-oriented policing enforcement officers observed a man on Route 58 with possible stolen tools from the Riverhead Lowe's. When the officers attempted to interview him, he fled the area; a subsequent investigation revealed that the tools had just been stolen from Lowe's, police said.

Police identified him as Courtland E. Bonalde, who had been sleeping in his vehicle in the Riverhead area, police said. At the same time, Riverhead detectives were investigating recent commercial burglaries as well as a robbery that took place at the Chase Bank parking lot, located at 7 West Main Street — and named Bonalde as a suspect, police said.

On Thursday, Bonalde was transported to Riverhead Town Police headquarters by the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, after being arrested by Riverhead detectives and charged with a burglary that took place on July 16, police said.

He was also charged with second-degree robbery for the incident on July 15 in the Chase Bank parking lot on West Main Street; third-degree burglary for an incident that took place on July 10 at Pamper Nails in Riverhead; third-degree burglary for an incident that took place at Happy Cute Nails in Riverhead; and petty larceny for an incident on July 13 at Lowe's on Old Country Road, police said.

The Riverhead Police Department's detective squad is continuing to investigate other potential crimes possibly perpetrated by Bonalde, and is urging anyone with information to call the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500 ext. 312; all calls will be kept confidential, police said.