The New Hartford Police Department is intensely cracking down on crime that is being committed in their town. Habitual offenders committing crimes such as retail theft, have gained the ire of police and one of those offenders was placed under arrest for the 14th time.

The New Hartford Police Department announced the arrest of 41-year-old Joe Lopez. Lopez is a Utica resident with an extensive history of criminal activity. According to police, his previous charges are related to drugs, theft and falsifying business records. Lopez, who had 13 active warrants from the New Hartford Police Department prior to his most recent offense, was apprehended following a larceny incident at Home Depot on January 21.

According to New Hartford Police, Lopez and an alleged accomplice, 53-year-old Erin Holden of Utica, allegedly stole over $500 worth of merchandise from the Home Depot store. The department's investigation revealed Lopez’s warrants stem from multiple thefts at businesses across the region, including Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and other Home Depot locations.

Officials say as a result of the investigation, Lopez has been charged with 14 counts of Petit Larceny and Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree. The felony charge was brought under a new law aimed at addressing individuals engaged in organized schemes to steal retail goods. Authorities determined the aggregate value of the stolen merchandise exceeded $1,000, triggering the felony threshold and Grand Larceny charge.

Following his arrest, Lopez was processed and taken to the Centralized Arraignment Court, where he will answer for the charges against him. Holden, his alleged accomplice, was issued an Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of New Hartford Local Criminal Court in February 2025.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the New Hartford Police Department Facebook page. 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.]

16 Of New York State's Most Wanted Criminals- January 2025

Below are individuals wanted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's (DOCCS) Office of Special Investigations who have been designated as its Most Wanted Fugitives. They should be considered armed and dangerous. This list is current as of 1/01/2025:

NEVER attempt to apprehend a fugitive yourself. If you have information on the location of any of these fugitives, you can contact OSI 24 hours a day / 7 days a week to report it. All leads and tips are treated as confidential information.

If an immediate response is necessary, such as you see the wanted person at a location, please call “911” and report it to the police.

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler

New York's 5 Most Common Crimes

If you ever wondered what type of crime is most common in New York State, personal injury law firm Gruber Law Offices found out exactly that.

Using the latest statistics from the United States Bureau of Justice, they identified the 5 crimes that are reported most in the state.

Gallery Credit: Megan

Utica Police Officers working Downtown Utica in the 40s and 50’s

Utica Police officers were out patrolling Downtown Utica "back in the day" See if you can guess the locations from the 1940's and 1950s.

Gallery Credit: Jim Rondenelli

More From WIBX 950