Schenectady community talks about home break-in

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -A home on State Street near many local businesses was broken into just after 6:30 on Thursday morning. A footprint is visible on the door along with dents between the locks and strike plate. 

“An individual stated that two people had broken into his house, struck him in the head. He sustained injuries and then eventually after tying him up, fled in his vehicle,” said Lieutenant Ryan Macherone.

Officers recovered the victim's vehicle in the Crosstown Plaza. He was treated by the Schenectady Fire Department before being transferred to a nearby hospital. “But still, we don’t have anyone in custody at this time and the investigation is very early on and active,” added Lieutenant Macherone.

NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski spoke to some businesses on State Street and they all said the crime came as a surprise. An employee at the Blue Ribbon Diner said in all his years in the area, it’s been safe and the police department is actively involved.

And at International Hair Design, the current and past owners have a similar stance. “I peeked out and I saw a lot of cop cars and much more than usual. I thought like a fire or something but yeah, it looked pretty bad,” recalled Eric Torkel, the current owner.

Eric's father Ralf has been doing hair in Schenectady for 37 years. In that time, they’ve only had one break-in. It hasn’t stopped their passion. "This is a happy street here and I think too the City installed cameras here and that we really could say it’s a safe place," explained Ralf.

There isn’t a description of what the two male suspects look like at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department’s tip line at (518)788-6566. You can do so anonymously.