Burglar Indicted In 10-Home Spree

A Riverhead man has been indicted on 10 counts of second-degree burglary, stemming from a spree between July 11, 2017 and February 27 of this year, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini’s office said.

Prosecutors say Taiheem McKay, 23, is responsible for five burglaries on East Avenue — four times hitting the same address, as well as homes on Old Country Road, Horton, Raynor, Maple, and Union avenues. McKay, who is currently wearing a Global Positioning System ankle monitor, a condition of probation for an unrelated crime, was found to have been at each of the burglary locations on the days of the incidents, allegedly swiping money, jewelry, designer sneakers, and belts, as well as a wallet from the homes, prosecutors say.

McKay was also arrested by the Riverhead Police Department on July 16 in connection with a May 4 home burglary at 417 East Avenue in Riverhead in which he allegedly stole several hundred dollars. He was indicted on July 26 on charges of second-degree burglary, a felony, and fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, in connection with that incident.

Sini, in a press release, called McKay’s indictment the result of excellent investigative work by detectives in the Riverhead Police Department, who used technology and the sharing of intelligence to find the alleged perpetrator responsible for the burglaries.

“These were brazen acts committed in broad daylight by an individual who clearly has no respect for the law. I commend the Riverhead Police Department and the Suffolk County Department of Probation for their work on this case and their continuous efforts to keep our communities safe,” Sini stated.

If convicted, McKay faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in a state prison on each count of the indictment, which could run consecutively, prosecutors said. He is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead in lieu of $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond and is due back in court on October 2.

peggy@indyeastend.com