Laptop thief arrested by Public Safety

Nichole Danyla

Staff Writer

46 year old Gerald Walker was arrested Wednesday, April 8, at his parole office for stealing a computer from the HVCC IT office in March.

According to Terrance Buchanan, the Public Safety officer who arrested Walker, it all started on Monday March 23rd when the IT coordinator returned from break to find the laptop assigned to him had been stolen. He immediately called public safety to report the theft and, within minutes, the suspect’s photo was retrieved off of a camera just outside the IT department door.

“We took the photo, and Fried Aliberti sent it to the Albany Crime Analysis Center,” Buchanan said. “We [also] immediately scoured the campus because we knew it just happened, but he had left by then.”

Buchanan credits the analyst who looked at the security camera pictures and recognized Walker. According to Buchanan, the analyst knew Walker had committed the same crime in the past. Walker was arrested for doing the exact same thing in 2012. He walked into the Talk 1300 radio station in the Times Union Center and stole a laptop from them as well.

Although there are no reports of Walker being on campus prior to Monday Mar. 23, Buchanan was concerned that he seemed to know where to go.

“We don’t know if other stuff was taken as well. There were no other reports were made but were suspiciously concerned that something else might have been taken as well,” said Buchanan.

“This was really pretty brazen,” Buchanan said. In order for Walker to have stolen the laptop he had to walk through Higbee Hall, into the IT department passed occupied offices, and get back out again.

After the analyst from the Albany Crime Analysis Center suspected Walker, Public Safety contacted his parole officer to set up a meeting on April 8. When confronted Walker admitted to being the one in the Security Camera and was arrested by Officer Buchanan without incident.

Troy police booked him and Walker is currently in Rensselaer County Jail on charges of burglary in the third degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree, as well as violating his parole. Walker is not a student or currently affiliated with Hudson Valley Community College in any way.