Police: Upstate NY Man Robbed Convenience Store, Tried to Rob 2nd

A local man is awaiting arraignment after police say he robbed a convenience store, and then attempted to rob another.

New Hartford Police responded to an attempted robbery call at Cliffs Local Market on Genesee Street in the village on Thursday at about 6:50 p.m., according to Chief Ron Fontaine. While officers were gathering information from store employees, a second call came in at around 7 p.m. from the Mirabito Convenience Store on Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford regarding a robbery that had just occurred there.

New Hartford Police Investigators were called in to assist the officers on scene with the investigation, and they concluded the same man had committed both crimes. During the course of these incidents, the suspect threatened the use of a weapon in order to steal money from the stores.

New Hartford Police Investigators were able to identify the suspect as 39-year-old Matthew Mowers, age 39, of Ilion last evening, but according to Chief Fontaine, they were unable to locate him at the time.

On February 23rd, New Hartford Police Investigators obtained information that Mowers was at his residence in Ilion.  New Hartford Police along with members of The United States Marshall’s Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is comprised of members of the United States Marshal’s Service, New Hartford Police, Utica Police, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Oneida County Probation Department, New York State Police and New York State Parole apprehended Mowers at his residence.  He was transported back to the New Hartford Police Department where he was charged with one count of Robbery in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony, and one count of Attempted Robbery in the Third Degree, a Class E Felony.  Mowers was then taken to Oneida County Centralized Arraignment Court at the Oneida County Jail where he was being held for arraignment.

Fontaine says, there were no injuries during either of the robberies.