A New York man charged with breaking into a senior's Quarry Knoll apartment and robbing her of more than $900 in cash pleaded not guilty Thursday in state Superior Court to a slew of charges, including home invasion and robbery.
Esdras Flores, 40, of 604 N. Main St., Port Chester, stood silently as his public defender told a judge he was reviewing the "serious allegations" in the case.
Attorney Howard Ehring entered the procedural pleas and opted for a jury trial, which continues the case until September.
Flores was assisted by a Spanish-speaking interpreter during the brief court hearing.
Prosecutors told a judge Flores has no prior criminal record.
Flores was arrested July 22 just days after police investigated a midnight break-in at the Quarry Knoll public housing complex. He is charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, home invasion and two counts of credit card theft. Police reports detail how Flores knew his 74-year-old victim from church and had just returned money she lent to him before allegedly committing the crime. Police said Flores entered the home through an unlocked door and used a toy gun to demand two envelopes of money, her ATM and credit cards and jewelry before fleeing the scene, reports said. The woman was not injured.
Detectives tracked Flores to a Port Chester bank, where he attempted to withdraw money using the victim's ATM cards, police said. Police later obtained still photos of Flores from a surveillance camera. When police learned Flores had recently paid the victim back money, they tracked him down at his residence, where Flores agreed to come in for an interview.
Flores first lied to investigators, police said, telling them masked men had robbed him, and he led them to the Quarry Knoll house where masked men supposedly robbed the victim. Flores later admitted he acted alone, but did not think the woman was home and became alarmed when she woke up, police said.....
Source:
http://www.greenwichtime.com/default/article/N-Y-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-home-invasion-604489.php
