Garnerville, NY- Two Rockland County men have been arrested for kidnapping and robbery at a motel in Garnerville, NY, according to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E Walsh.
Jonathan Abikzer, 30 of Monsey, New York, and Michael Galkovich, 46 of New City, New York were both charged with Robbery in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree, and two counts of Robbery in the Second Degree.
According to police, on August 16, the Haverstraw Police Department received a report from an individual that he had been the victim of a robbery.
“The victim met the two suspects at a Garnerville motel under the assumption he was giving an estimate to renovate motel rooms. Once inside one of the rooms, the victim was held at gunpoint for several hours and eventually was forced to transfer money to the suspects. The victim was released shortly thereafter and was thankfully unharmed. An investigation by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department Detective Bureau led to the arrest of both the suspects,” police said in a report today.
District Attorney Tom Walsh II said, “No individual should be held against their will under the threat of violence. I commend the exceptional investigative work by the Haverstraw Police Department Detective Bureau that led to the quick apprehension of the alleged suspects in this case. Also assisting the Haverstraw PD were the Clarkstown Police Department, the Town of Ramapo Police Department, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County Intel Unit, and the New York City Police Department.”