Albion police charge homeless man from Rochester with stealing vehicle, possessing crack cocaine
Man flushed car keys down toilet at Burger King to destroy evidence
Travis C. Brongo
ALBION – A homeless man from Rochester faces several charges after he allegedly had a stolen vehicle, attempted to flush the keys down the toilet, and also had an open container of alcohol, drug paraphernalia and crack cocaine, Albion Police Chief David Mogle.
Travis C. Brongo, 39, allegedly was observed smoking a glass pipe at about 1:30 p.m. in the driver’s seat while alone on Wednesday at a business in Albion.
The off-duty officer then notified on-duty officers of the incident and provided a license plate. After running the plate number, the Albion officers learned the vehicle was reported stolen with the Rochester Police Department.
Albion police began patrolling the area and located the suspected stolen vehicle at the Hoag Library on South Main Street. The vehicle was unoccupied.
Officers secured the vehicle and blocked it from leaving. While the officers reviewed video footage from the library, a suspicious male saw officers on scene and proceeded on foot in the opposite direction originally intended.
Officers confirmed the suspicious male matched the description of the suspect getting out of the stolen vehicle. Officers on scene were able to give officers in the area a description of the suspect and direction of travel.
An Orleans County Sheriff’s Department Investigator observed the suspect enter Burger King. Officers on scene were able to establish a perimeter around Burger King. They entered the site and awaited the suspect to exit from the bathrooms.
Once the suspect exited the bathroom, the suspect was detained and brought to the Albion Police Department for an interview. Officers identified the suspect as Travis Brongo.
Officers determined Brongo flushed the vehicle keys down the toilet at Burger King. Upon searching the vehicle, officers located suspected crack cocaine in the vehicle along with open containers of alcohol and drug paraphernalia.
The Albion Police Department would like to thank the Hoag Library, New York State Police and Orleans County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance.
Brongo was charged with Conceal/Destroy Physical Evidence, an E Felony; Criminal Possession Stolen Property/Vehicle, an E Felony; Criminal Possession Controlled Substance 7th; Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle; and Open Container Alcohol in Vehicle.
Brongo was issued appearance tickets and uniform traffic tickets as none of the charges are arraignable offenses under the new bail reform laws, Mogle said.
Brongo was turned over to the Gates Police Department on an outstanding warrant.
