Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that 47-year-old Hector L. Colon of Buffalo was sentenced this morning before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case to five years of probation.
On Saturday, November 25, 2023, at approximately 4:18 p.m., the defendant forcibly stole merchandise, two fragrance sets with a total value of $330, from a department store inside the Walden Galleria. The defendant exited the store without purchasing the items. When he was confronted by the store’s asset protection officers, he threatened both victims with a pocketknife then fled. He was apprehended nearby a short time by Cheektowaga Police while in possession of the stolen merchandise.
Colon pleaded guilty to one count of Robbery in the Third Degree (Class “D” felony) on May 16, 2024. As part of his sentence, a final stay away order was issued, which prohibits the defendant from entering the store in the future.
Acting DA Keane commends the Cheektowaga Police Department and the asset protection officers for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Megan E. Mahoney of the Felony Trials Bureau.