The man who was believed to be armed and took off running into a wooded area just off State Route 79 in Tompkins County after leading police on a pursuit that started in Broome County Tuesday night is in police custody.
30-year-old Christopher Borges, of Binghamton, was located by a Deputy Sheriff just after 10 Wednesday morning in the town of Caroline and was arrested without incident. Borges will be turned over to the Broome County Sheriff’s Office on charges robbery, kidnapping, and criminal contempt.
At around 6:30 Tuesday night, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office became aware of a pursuit being conducted by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office of a U-Haul truck driven by Borges into Tompkins County after he had just been involved in an armed robbery in their jurisdiction. The pursuit ended and Borges reportedly fled into a wooded area in the 2000 block of Slaterville Road. A Siren Alert was issued to residents in that proximity and residents are asked to safeguard themselves in their homes.
Law enforcement conducted a large search covering a vast area utilizing multiple drones with thermal imaging capabilities, multiple K9 units, and Specialized Response Team members on foot. A BB gun presenting as a Glock handgun was located inside the U-Haul Borges was operating.
The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the City of Ithaca PD, New York State Police, and Cayuga Heights PD.
“I would also like to thank the Ithaca City School District for their coordination in helping with safe arrival of students in the area and getting the word out to families, as well as Celebrations Banquet Hall on Slaterville Road for allowing us to utilize their property for our command post,” said Sheriff Derek Osborne. “This was a community wide effort that resulted in the best outcome possible.”
