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Guilty plea entered in six suburban break-ins [The Buffalo News, N.Y. :: ](Buffalo News (NY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 04--A Buffalo man who broke into six suburban homes in the course of one month, taking more than $45,000 in cash, jewelry, televisions, computers and other electronics, pleaded guilty to six counts of second-degree burglary this week in Erie County Court. Bryan Colon, 35, of Niagara Street, faces up to 50 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 14 by Judge Sheila A. DiTullio, according to District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III. Colon's crime spree began Aug. 7, 2012, when he burglarized a Cedar Street home in Akron and a Tonawanda Creek Road home in Clarence, prosecutors said. It continued Aug. 26, 2012, when he broke into an Indian Trail Road home in Amherst. Five days later, Colon was burglarizing a Hiller Road home in Newstead when the homeowner returned and found him in her kitchen. He pushed past the woman and fled. On Sept. 7, 2012, Colon broke into a home on North Davis Road in Elma. A neighbor read the license plate of Colon's rental car. Three days later, police tracked down Colon at his home in the Shoreline Apartments, but he escaped by jumping from a second-story balcony. He committed a sixth burglary on Sept. 23, 2012, on West River Parkway, Grand Island. Erie County sheriff's detectives returned to the Shoreline Apartments on Oct. 3, 2012. Colon again jumped from the balcony but was captured. Colon's criminal history began when he was 13. By 14, he led police on a high-speed chase and followed up with an assault, armed robbery and larceny. At 16, he was convicted as an adult for possessing a loaded firearm. While out on bail on the firearm charge, he kidnapped a man at Connecticut and 16th streets in front of two police officers. Prosecutors said he led the officers on a car chase and fired at them. He was eventually convicted of first-degree robbery and served nearly 10 years in prison. He violated his parole and was charged with first-degree escape after he bolted from his parole officer's custody while shackled. He was convicted of escape after another trial, but the Appellate Court overturned the conviction and dismissed the indictment. Colon was indicted in the burglary spree in 2012 and has been in custody since his arrest on Oct. 3, 2012. Since then, he fired three taxpayer-financed lawyers and decided to represent himself. He attempted to suppress the evidence in the break-ins, resulting in court appearances over the next 13 months. He pleaded guilty Tuesday after losing his suppression bid. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta, chief of the DA's Felony Trial Bureau, and Sara N. Ogden. email: [email protected] ___ (c)2014 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) Visit The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) at www.buffalonews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |