Twenty-one-year-old Martin Morales, of Cairo, reportedly led multiple police departments from multiple counties on a day-long chase on Monday after he allegedly attempted to abduct and murder his former girlfriend in Vermont, according to the New York State Police and the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail's story describes how Morales allegedly donned a ski mask and broke into his ex's apartment with a knife:
A sworn affidavit issued by the City of Winooski Police Department described how Rowlands was awoken by Morales banging on the front door of her apartment.
Rowlands told police she saw Morales smash the door window and reach through the broken glass to unlock the door. He was wearing a black ski mask, she told police.
After breaking his way into the apartment, Rowlands told police Morales began to punch her in the face and stab at her. She initially thought it was a drug dealer attempting to break into her apartment until she heard him speak:
“If you come with me you won’t get hurt,” he said to her. She then recognized the voice of her former boyfriend she once lived with in New York.
The State Police press release recounts how Morales was tracked to the basement of an apartment building in Hudson and arrested:
STATE POLICE IN LIVINGSTON HAVE ARRESTED A 21 YEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY MAN AS A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT. THE TWIN COUNTY MANHUNT INVOLVED MULTI-AGENCIES AND BEGAN THIS MORNING WHEN VERMONT AUTHORITIES CONTACTED THE STATE POLICE IN CATSKILL REQUESTING THEIR ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING AN INDIVIDUAL WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH A HOME INVASION ASSUALT THAT OCCURRED IN WINOOSKI VERMONT DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. CATSKILL STATE POLICE CHECKED LEADS IN CAIRO NY AND THEN CONTACTED STATE POLICE IN COLUMBIA COUNTY TO CHECK LEADS IN THE HUDSON , GREENPORT AREA HUDSON POLICE, GREENPORT POLICE AND COLUMBIA COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPUTIES ASSISTED IN THE SEARCH. BASED ON LEADS DEVELOPED BY GREENPORT POLICE AND STATE POLICE INVESTIGATORS THE SUBJECT WAS LOCATED HIDING IN THE BASEMENT OF A FAIRVIEW AVE APARTMENT BUILDING, HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT INCIDENT BY HUDSON PD AND STATE POLICE INVESTIGATORS. ARRESTED WAS MARTIN A. MORALES AGE 21 OF JEROME AVE CAIRO NY HE HAS BEEN CHARGED AS A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE BASED ON AN ARREST WARRANT FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER ISSUED BY THE CHITTENDEN COUNTY VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT. IT IS ALLEGED HE TRAVELLED TO VERMONT AND ASSAULTED A FORMER GIRLFRIEND WITH A KNIFE WHICH IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE WINOOSKI VERMONT POLICE DEPT. MORALES WAS ARRAIGNED BEFORE HUDSON CITY COURT JUDGE RICHARD KOWEEK AND REMANDED TO THE COLUMBIA COUNTY JAIL PENDING EXTRADTION PROCEEDINGS.
