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Pair Arrested After Breaking into WaHi Apartment Through Fire Escape

 A pair of would-be burglars were busted after breaking into an empty apartment through a fire escape on West 188th Street (not pictured here).
A pair of would-be burglars were busted after breaking into an empty apartment through a fire escape on West 188th Street (not pictured here).
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DNAinfo/Rachel Holliday Smith

FORT GEORGE — A pair of bungling would-be burglars used a fire escape to break into a vacant apartment on West 188th Street last week — leaving behind papers with one of the attempted thieves' names on them and eventually getting busted on the roof, authorities said.

The suspects were caught after a witness saw them breaking in through the fire escape window of a fifth-floor apartment at 552 W. 188th St. about 5 a.m. on November 18, police said.

When officers entered the unit, they found it empty but heard noises coming from the fire escape, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. 

The officers followed the noises to the roof, where they encountered Joel Zorilla, 24, and Tabitha Bundrick, 27, who were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing.

Zorilla was also charged with marijuana possession after one of the officers saw him toss a bag of marijuana to the ground, the complaint noted.

Police said they also found papers with Bundrick’s name on them inside the vacant apartment.

A custodian at the building said the unit is currently vacant and that the window had been screwed shut before the incident, according to the criminal complaint.

Zorilla is also currently facing a charge in The Bronx for violating an order of protection secured by his ex-girlfriend, according to a criminal complaint from the Bronx DA's office. There is no record of other charges against Bundrick.

Kasia Donohue, a lawyer from New York Defender Services who represents Bundrick, said her client had received an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning that if she stays out of trouble for six months, the charges will be dismissed. The Manhattan DA's office confirmed the decision.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 15, 2015.

No attorney information was available for Zorilla. His current status was unclear, but the city Department of Correctionhad no record of him in its online database. The DOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.