TOWN OF FLOYD — The case of six men accused of attacking the residents of a mobile home at Wilber’s Mobile Home Park is expected to be forwarded to the county grand jury following a felony exam in Town Court this afternoon.
All six men remain in county jail today on $50,000 cash bail or bond.
Further charges are expected in the case, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
All six men are currently charged with first-degree burglary, a class B felony: Robert J. Reynolds, 26, of Oriskany; Joseph N. Salerno, 21, of Frankfort; Daniel J. Matys, 23, of Utica; Brandon M. Wilson, 20, of Utica; Travis J. Anderson, 21, of Utica; Chad R. Cherubin, 23, of Texas.
Deputies said at about 2:20 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, the six forced their way into a trailer at Wilber’s Mobile Home Park on Old Floyd Road brandishing baseball bats and at least one hand gun. Authorities said the men were masked, and they do not yet know if all six went inside.
"They were familiar with the victim," said Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Nelson. "I’m sure there’s more to the story that we don’t even know at this point."
Nelson said the six men were demanding money from the three people in the mobile home.
"That’s what the victim was telling us, that they were demanding money," Nelson said. However, no money was stolen, Nelson said, only household items.
"There was some property removed from the trailer, some belongings of the homeowner," Nelson said. He declined to identify what was stolen.
Deputies said the six men attacked the residents with the baseball bats and pointed a gun at a female resident. When one of the victims shouted that the police were coming, the six men fled the scene. At least two of the victims also fled.
One victim jumped into his van and fled to nearby Rickmeyer Road, but only after one of the six smashed in his window with a baseball bat. The female resident thought her male friend had climbed into their truck instead of the van, so she got into the passenger seat of the truck.
However, the woman soon realized that one of the six accused assailants had gotten behind the wheel of the truck and drove off. Nelson said the key was likely left in the ignition. When the woman realized who was driving, she grabbed the wheel and forced the truck to crash off the road. Both she and the suspect walked away without injuries, and deputies said the suspect fled on foot.
After law enforcers arrived, Salerno was the first one taken into custody after he walked out of a field between the mobile home park and Rickmeyer Road. Matys and Cherubin were found a short time later near Route 365 and River Road in Rome. Those three men were taken into custody that morning. Wilson was taken into custody Friday evening, deputies said. Anderson was found on Monday and Reynolds was charged on Tuesday.
