2 Utica Men Arrested After Another Alleged Waste Oil Theft

Two Utica men already facing charges in a waste oil theft case in New Hartford are now accused in a second incident that police say happened just minutes earlier on the same stretch of Seneca Turnpike.

31-year-old Frank Gonzalez-Guzman of Utica and 25-year-old Edinson Salcedo-Rivas of Utica have been charged with additional counts of petit larceny. Investigators say the pair targeted Castlewood Cafe at 8548 Seneca Turnpike shortly before they were caught during a similar theft at Fresco Fish.

Police say both incidents happened in the early morning hours of March 27.

Officers first noticed a suspicious vehicle around 2 a.m. near Fresco Fish, located at 8483 Seneca Turnpike. When they took a closer look, they found tools inside the vehicle that are commonly used to remove waste cooking oil from secured storage containers. That oil is typically collected and sold to licensed recycling companies. The two men were taken into custody without incident, and the cargo van they were using, described as altered and run down, was impounded.

Then the case widened, according to New Hartford Police Chief Ron Fontaine.

Investigators later learned of a second theft at Castlewood Cafe, police say. Authorities say the same two suspects used a similar method there, targeting another waste oil container just minutes before officers interrupted them at Fresco Fish.

Both men were previously issued appearance tickets following their arrest. They are scheduled to appear in New Hartford Town Court on April 16, 2026.

Police say the investigation is still active and additional charges are possible.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the New Hartford Police Department. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]