UTICA, N.Y., — A Buffalo man has been arrested and charged after a bizarre sequence of events led Utica Police to connect him to a burglary at a local restaurant. The incident began on the morning of August 16, 2024, when officers were dispatched to Steuben Park for a menacing investigation involving a hatchet.
Upon arrival at the scene around 7:45 a.m., officers were directed to a nearby residence where the suspect had reportedly fled. The suspect, later identified as 42-year-old John Coronado of Buffalo, was found inside and detained pending further investigation.
As officers canvassed the area and spoke with witnesses, they learned that Coronado had been seen earlier that morning walking down the street with several liquor bottles and an ATM machine in a large garbage bin. The investigation then shifted from the menacing complaint—after the victim declined to press charges—to focus on the suspicious items in Coronado’s possession.
Further investigation led officers to the Lotus Garden restaurant on King Street, where they discovered several broken windows at the front of the establishment. The restaurant owners were contacted and confirmed that an ATM and several liquor bottles had been stolen during a break-in.
The case was subsequently handed over to the Criminal Investigations Division, which gathered additional evidence linking Coronado to the burglary. He was charged with multiple offenses related to the break-in.
The Utica Police Department has not yet released the specific charges against Coronado but confirmed that he remains in custody as the investigation continues.
