Gates police say a 40-year-old Churchville man who committed two burglaries minutes apart was a parole violator, and also had to be released on an appearance ticket because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The department says Robert Hizer allegedly walked up to Flower City Traders on Lyell Avenue at 4:45 this morning and smashed the window with a rock. He went inside and ripped a flat screen TV off the wall and ran away with it.
At about 5:30 a.m., a Gates officer was called to the Speedway on Lyell Avenue for a report of a person smashing a car window. They found and arrested Hizer, and recovered the tv from a parking lot down the road.
Hizer was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and petit larceny for the two crimes. But New York State Parole said they’re not currently locking up parole violators because of the coronavirus shutdown. He would normally be held on bail.