Four of the suspects in the various cases are identified as:
- 19-year-old
Dakota E. Tosch of Campbell, New York, charged with Burglary 1st Degree,
Burglary 2nd Degree, two counts Burglary 3rd Degree, and Criminal Mischief 3rd
Degree. He remains incarcerated in the
Steuben County Jail on $10,000 bail / $20,000 bond per charge.
- 20-year-old
Dakota J. Kidder of Campbell, New York, charged with Burglary 1st Degree,
Burglary 2nd Degree, two counts of Burglary 3rd Degree, and Criminal Mischief
3rd Degree. He remains incarcerated in
the Steuben County Jail on $10,000 bail / $20,000 bond per charge.
- 17-year-old
Elisha I. Blake of Campbell, New York, charged with Burglary 2nd Degree. He was released to the custody of his legal
guardian with further action pending.
- A juvenile
of Painted Post, New York, was charged with Burglary 1st Degree. The juvenile was released to the custody of a
parent with further court action pending.
- A fifth
suspect was identified as 19-year-old Chance C. LaViolette of Elkland,
Pennsylvania, who fled the state shortly after the incident. He was located in the city of Lebanon,
Oregon, and taken into custody by the Lebanon Police Department on outstanding
arrest warrants lodged in three different states. LaViolette is currently being held in the
State of Oregon and is awaiting extradition to New York State where he will
face charges of Burglary 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment
1st Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree.
Spanning the months of June, July, and August, 2018,
Investigators allege that the five suspects were each involved with one another
in committing different burglaries and larcenies across two states to varying
degrees. Specifically, during the early
morning hours of August 15th, 2018, it is alleged that four of the suspects
(Dakota Tosch, Dakota Kidder, Chance LaViolette, and the juvenile) forced entry
into a home on Orchard Street in the village of Savona with the intent to steal
money and property. It is also alleged
that, while masked or covering their faces to conceal their identities, the
suspects assaulted and restrained the homeowner and injured him repeatedly with
a screwdriver in their possession.
During the melee, a female companion sleeping in an adjacent room was
alerted by the sounds of the struggle.
It is believed that the female confronted the suspects utilizing a
hammer she was able to obtain to defend herself. The confrontation caused the suspects to flee
without having taken any money or property.
In addition to burglarizing area small businesses, the
suspects are believed to have targeted other individuals they knew to possess
either a quantity of marijuana, narcotics, or a significant amount of money in
an effort to avoid having the incidents reported to law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing, and the New
York State Police would like to thank the community for their continued
support.
Investigator Brian W. Mayhew
New York State Police – Bath
