Burglar caught red-handed in air conditioning store and put on ice: cops

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Police say a copper thief at a Westchester heating and air conditioning company didn’t rely on heat coming from the Ring camera’s cold eye.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, officers went to Richie Brothers Heating and Air Conditioning, located on Plain Avenue, after receiving a report of a burglary.

The owner told police he saw, through a Ring camera, a suspect attempting to steal copper from the business.

When police arrived on scene, they noticed an open door to the basement and movement in the building. Moments later, the police were able to convince the suspect to surrender.

The suspect, James M. Hoch, 43, of New Rochelle, was a former employee of the business and later admitted to detectives that he had committed other unreported burglaries at the same location.

Hoch was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary, misdemeanor possession of burglar’s tools and misdemeanor seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

New Rochelle police added that other burglaries are under investigation.