Four migrants arrested at Colonie hotel, employee charged with rape

by Kevin Schuster, Briana Supardi
Wed, October 4th 2023, 5:23 PM EDT

ALBANY COUNTY, N.Y. —

Several asylum seekers and an undocumented hotel employee staying at the SureStay Hotel in Colonie are facing serious charges including assault, robbery, and rape.

The arrests of four asylum seekers and an undocumented hotel worker stem from four separate incidents that occurred over the last six days.

The Wolf Road hotel has housed bus loads of asylum seekers from New York City since May.

On September 28th, an 18-year old asylum seeker was arrested and charged with assault after he was involved in a domestic dispute at the hotel. According to the police report, the teen used a bag with keys attached to it to assault a female victim.

On October 1st, two 26 year old asylum seekers were arrested following a physical altercation between them.

One displayed a knife during the fight. Both face assault, weapons, and menacing charges.

According to police, these three migrants are now in custody with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Two days later, a 21 year old asylum seeker allegedly robbed a nearby cell phone store on October 3rd. He was arrested, charged with robbery and taken to Albany County without bail.

During the morning hours of October 4th, an undocumented hotel worker was arrested and charged with rape after allegedly sexually assault a guest staying at the SureStay hotel. Police say he was taken to Albany County Jail.

The recent incidents did not sit well with Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey who has been outspoken against New York City’s migrant relocation program.

“I’ve been saying this since day one when Mayor Adams spirited into the town of Colonie on Memorial Day Weekend at midnight, dropping people off, he didn’t even know who these folks were either,” said Crummey.

According to police, the 21-year old migrant arrested for robbery has had prior arrests in New York City before he was relocated to the Capital Region.

CBS 6’s BRIANA SUPARDI: “What do you want to see happen?”

PETER CRUMMEY: “I don’t want to see crime.”

For those providing assistance to some of the migrants who relocated upstate, they believe some of the crimes committed by asylum seekers could stem from their sense of desperation.

“Nothing can condone crime and violence in our community under any circumstances,” said Gregory Sheldon, Executive Director of Eden’s Rose, a non-profit.

But it’s the lack of coordinated service that is impairing these asylum seekers’ ability to integrate to our society in a safe and seamless way,” he added.

Many of the migrants in Capital Region hotels are in limbo, with nothing else to do but wait for their work permits to get approved.

“If you can’t work, how are you going to be able to pay your phone bill to call your doctor, family, or call a lawyer,” said Sheldon.

“Many citizens in the United States and many others visiting here face challenges in their lives, doesn’t mean they should be criminal right away,” said Crummey.

https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/fo...sylum-seekers#