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Two men terrorize Granby family
Thursday, December 22, 2005
By Douglass Dowty and Charles McChesney
Staff writers
Cameron Vincent is one brave 5-year-old.

The Granby kindergartner was tied up by two thieves who burst into his home Tuesday night, police said. The pair, who had a machete and a sawed-off shotgun, held captive his mother, father, another relative and a neighbor as they ransacked the Vincent home.

More than three hours after the incident began, the intruders fled 22 Jonney Cake Road when Cameron's father loos- ened his bonds and got hold of the shotgun.

Birdshot pellets hit one of the intruders. Police later arrested two people: Donald F. Brown, 27, of West Onondaga Street, Syracuse, and Kyle Hunter, 18, of Laurie Lane, Clay. They appeared in court Wednesday to face charges.

Tuesday night, Cameron was in the house - he and his mother had just returned home from a holiday concert - when the thieves entered and began tearing apart wrapped Christmas presents, according to relatives who spoke with the family.

Rhonda Raponi, an aunt to Monita Vincent, 29, Cameron's mother, held back tears Wednesday as she told of her great-nephew's bravery. "He had a knife to his throat," she said.

"Mommy, don't cry and maybe they won't kill us," Raponi quoted Cameron as telling his mother. "Don't cry."

"He's beautiful. He's very smart," she said. "He just wanted to be good," she said of the boy.

According to state police, the burglars eventually tied up five people.

The Vincents were in their one-story home at around 8 p.m. when the burglars knocked on the door, state police Investigator Stephen Cadwell said. Here is what happened after that, according to state police:


Two men entered the house with a machete and a sawed-off shotgun when Monita Vincent opened the door, police said. The pair tied up the Vincents. Then they began tearing apart the belongings in the house, Cadwell said.

"They were ransacking the house, tearing open Christmas presents, looking for money," Cadwell said. One burglar held a machete to the boy's head, the investigator said.

Vincent's husband, Adam, was snowmobiling with his cousin as the burglary took place, police said. He called the house but received no answer.


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Adam Vincent called and asked a neighbor, Santa Cocopoti, to check on Vincent's family. Cocopoti lives less than a half-mile away from the Vincents, Cadwell said.

When Cocopoti arrived, the intruders attacked him and tied him up, police said. For

the next couple of hours, the intruders took turns searching the house for money and keeping watch on their captives.

Police said Adam Vincent returned home around 11 p.m. on his snowmobile with a cousin. When they approached the house, they too were assaulted and tied up.

At around midnight, Adam Vincent was able to free himself, police said. A melee erupted and Adam Vincent grabbed the shotgun, police said, and shot one of the intruders.

"Adam grabbed the shotgun in self-defense," said Investigator Terry Bauer. "As the suspect turned away, he discharged the weapon at the fleeing suspect."

State police and Onondaga County sheriff's deputies and Fulton police with their canine units searched for the men. Troopers said they were arrested nearby.


Brown was charged Wednesday with first-degree burglary, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree criminal firearm use and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He appeared in Granby Town Court and was sent to the Oswego County jail, with bail set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.

Hunter was treated at a Syracuse hospital for his shotgun wound. After he was released from the hospital, he too was arraigned on the same charges as Brown.

Brown wore a white sheet around his legs at his arraignment after police confiscated his pants for evidence. Hunter, during his arraignment, wore a sheet wrapped around his upper body with jeans covering his legs.

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Brown claimed Hunter was high on embalming fluid when they broke into the home.

"He was cracked out," Brown said. "He was supposed to pick up money from a friend. He wanted me to come with him because he was afraid he'd get jumped."

Hunter, when asked before his court appearance about the embalming fluid, stayed silent.

Cadwell said the family was traumatized by the burglary.

"They're just beginning to realize how serious this is," Cadwell said. "They're really nervous."

Lydia Lee Coe was drawn into the drama by a knock at her door near midnight Tuesday. She opened it to find her next-door neighbor and tenant, Adam Vincent.

Coe called 911.

Later, Vincent's wife arrived. She "ran over here, duct tape all over her," Coe said.

Police moved all the victims from the one-story octagonal home to Coe's home.

"The poor kid was petrified," Coe said, referring to Cameron. Coe, whose children are grown, found some cartoons for the youngster to watch. "They threatened that little boy," said Coe, who was surrounded by family members at her home late Wednesday morning. "I said, 'Honey, it's all right.' "

 
Raponi came by the snow-covered home Wednesday. She said that her niece and her great-nephew had just returned home from a concert in Phoenix.

"Then all hell broke loose," she said.

Coe said the house was torn up by the two invaders who ripped open Christmas gifts, including those meant for the boy.

Cameron was worried about whether he would get any presents, Coe said. She told him Santa Claus would know.

Raponi said her niece comes from a nice family and doesn't know her attackers. "None of us know these people," she said.

"This had to be random," said Coe. She added that nothing ever happens on Jonney Cake Road, where she has lived since her childhood.

"I'm just glad they caught them," Raponi said. "I want them prosecuted the right way."

"They have ruined my nephew's Christmas," Raponi said. "I know in time he will heal from this."

"What these two men have done to my nephew has been very damaging, forever," Raponi said.

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One of them had supposedly been smoking a joint with embalming fluid on the mj, I hadn't heard of that one before, but apparently it'd a pretty long lasting high.

Quoted: Quoted: One of them had supposedly been smoking a joint with embalming fluid on the mj, I hadn't heard of that one before, but apparently it'd a pretty long lasting high. Is that called Angel Dust? I bet it would be a rank smell. Danny

Naw, angel dust is a horse tranquilizer (while it was, not sure they make it anymore), it did used to be put on mj for smoking though.

too bad it was birdshot.

Quoted: Quoted: At around midnight, Adam Vincent was able to free himself, police said. A melee erupted and Adam Vincent grabbed the shotgun, police said, and shot one of the intruders. "Adam grabbed the shotgun in self-defense," said Investigator Terry Bauer. "As the suspect turned away, he discharged the weapon at the fleeing suspect." I'm surprised for two reasons. #1 - the victim shot one of the perps in the back, while he was fleeing, and wasn;t charged with assault w/deadly weapon. #2 - an investigator was actually quoted as supporting the action "self defense". I'm glad that no innocents were (physically) hurt. Shame he didn't drop both of 'em. "High" or not, actions like that had a real steep learning curve when I was younger.

They're being two drug scum played some role in that, but this is a rural area. I know of a homeowner who shot at a burglar he caught in his living room in the middle of the night. The sheriff's deputy figured that two rounds from the 10/22 hit the wall, but that one hit the guy but did not bring him down. He chewed the homeowner out for not having a better gun that would have killed the sob.

edit-we had another home invasion about 5 years ago, I think it was 5 guys, some armed with shotguns and pistols. They were somewhat rough on the family let's say, before they took off; there was a two county chase after the group by just about every police department around and some private citizens were involved also-one group was tearing down the main interstate throwing guns out the window at 2 in the afternoon the other played hide and seek with the cops through a suburban apartment complex before they got away on a passing bus (to be caught later). I don't think any jury in this area would give you a problem over plugging someone in a home invasion.