Rutland Herald
By Gordon Dritschilo
STAFF WRITER | October 29,2016
STAFF WRITER | October 29,2016
- Charges are piling up against a Mendon man who allegedly sped off when he was stopped after breaking into residences on a back road in Killington.
Coy A. Hill, 34, pleaded not guilty Friday in Rutland criminal court to two burglary charges and one charge of burglary of an occupied dwelling, all felonies. The charges carry a combined maximum of 55 years in prison. He was held for lack of $100,000 bail.
It was the second time this week Hill had been in court for the same incident. Monday, he pleaded not guilty to three charges of violating his conditions of release on previous charges, and one of driving without a license, all misdemeanors. Those charges carry a maximum of 3½ years in prison.
Hill had been freed on $1,000 bail on the first batch of charges Thursday, and police took him back into custody on the burglary charges later that day.
Vermont State Police said Hill broke into three residences on Alpine Drive in Killington, making off with a haul that included three televisions, a purse, three bottles of liquor, a Mac computer and monitor, an amplifier and a FedEx package containing two ski pole baskets.
Police said they got a 911 call a little before 1 a.m. Sunday from the resident of one of the homes, who was hiding in a closet with her cellphone after hearing a loud banging followed by breaking glass.
Killington police arrived to find the rear door kicked in, according to affidavits, and State Police arrived to help search the area.
Later that night, police said, an alarm went off at another Alpine Drive residence. Police said as they approached the road, they made contact with a red SUV leaving the area. The driver, later identified as Hill, told a trooper he was visiting a friend.
Police said that since the vehicle was leaving a secluded area where an alarm had been activated, they instructed Hill not to leave. He disregarded those instructions, according to police, driving toward Rutland at high speed. Police said they were unable to catch him. Police said they found an open door and broken glass at the site of the alarm.
When the investigation identified Hill as the driver, police said they found him at home, where they wound up in a standoff at Hill spoke to officers out a second-floor window, holding a large hunting knife to his own throat.
“After a lengthy negotiation, Coy Hill agreed to drop the knife,” police wrote.
Hill was taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center for a mental health crisis evaluation, according to affidavits, and a number of stolen items were found in his bedroom.
Police said a break-in at a third Alpine Drive residence was discovered Monday morning.
When police took Hill back into custody Thursday, according to affidavits, he told them he was stealing to support his crack habit and that he had traded televisions to his dealer for drugs.
In court Friday, Deputy State’s Attorney Ian Sullivan noted that Hill had previous convictions for five felonies and 15 misdemeanors, including two escapes, and was already facing an outstanding DUI-4 and related charges.
His defense attorney argued against bail, saying that Hill had extensive ties to the area and noting that he had posted bail the previous day and police found him at home that night.
“It’s not like they had to go searching for him,” he said. “People know where Mr. Hill is.”
Judge William Cohen was not persuaded.
“Based on the accumulation of charges ... and his previous record regarding compliance with court orders ... he is clearly a risk of flight,” Cohen said.
gordon.dritschilo @rutlandherald.com
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