Vermont Man Arrested After Craftsbury Burglary Report and Hours-Long Barricade: Held on $5,000 Bail

Vermont State Police issued a news release on November 9 with the details of that day's law-enforcement operation in Craftsbury: Robert Witham Jr., 46, was accused of burglary and barricaded himself against police for several hours before he was taken into custody. The operation took place in the town of Craftsbury, in Orleans County, Vermont; Wild Branch Road there had been closed for several hours during the operation earlier that day and has since reopened.

According to the release, at about 7:17 a.m. on November 9 state police were advised of a burglary complaint at a residence on Dustan Road. The complainant, Mark Royan, also 46 and also of Craftsbury, reported that Witham had unlawfully entered his residence and stolen several items from his farmstand and residence. Witham was also being sought by the Derby barracks in connection with other related incidents reported on November 6, the release said.

While searching the area, troopers observed Witham drive by the victim's residence. Troopers in marked cruisers tried to stop him on North Craftsbury Road and again on Wild Branch Road, and he failed to stop both times; troopers did not pursue the vehicle. The release said that while attempting to elude troopers, Witham drove in a negligent manner well in excess of Vermont's basic-rule speed limit.

Witham then entered his own residence on Wild Branch Road and barricaded himself inside for several hours, refusing law-enforcement orders to come out. Wild Branch Road was closed for several hours while a significant law-enforcement response executed a search warrant to take him into custody. During the search of his property, police found a loaded firearm and a 30-round rifle magazine in the vehicle Witham had been driving, and Witham was also accused of damaging a Vermont State Police drone.

Witham was ultimately taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Derby barracks for processing. Across the two cases, the charges against him include burglary into an occupied dwelling, retail theft, two counts of negligent operation, excessive speed, two counts of attempting to elude law enforcement, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, unlawful mischief, unlawful trespass into an occupied dwelling and unlawful trespass onto property.

The release said Witham was held on $5,000 bail at the Northern State Correctional Facility, with court-imposed conditions of release, and will be arraigned on the charges at 12:30 p.m. on November 10 in the Orleans Criminal Division in Newport City.

Responding units included the Vermont State Police Derby barracks, VSP special teams including the Unmanned Aerial Systems Program and the Tactical Services Unit, the Orleans County Sheriff's Department, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, the Hardwick Police Department and the Craftsbury Fire Department. The troopers named in the release were Aaron Leonard and Richard Berlandy, and the case numbers were 26A5006458 and 26A5006410.

Related: Update: Wild Branch Road in Craftsbury fully reopened after law-enforcement operation ended

(Source: Vermont State Police)

Source: Vermont State Police

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：佛蒙特州 Newport 市的奥尔良县法院（资料图），本案定于11月10日在该市的奥尔良县刑事法院出庭。AlexiusHoratius 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Orleans County Courthouse in Newport, Vermont (file photo); the defendant is due to be arraigned in the Orleans Criminal Division in Newport on November 10. By AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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