The New York man arrested after fatally shooting two people who broke into his house had been robbed by one of them before, an official said.
Ronald Stolarczyk, 64, “interrupted a burglary and shot the two suspects with an illegally owned handgun,” according to the New York State Police. Patricia Anne Talerico, 57, of Utica, and her nephew Nicholas Talerico, 27, also of Utica, were identified as the deceased burglars.
Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said in an update that Nicholas Talerico had burglarized Stolarczyk’s home several weeks before the deadly confrontation.
“A large amount of property” believed to have been stolen from Stolarczyk’s home was found at Talerico’s apartment, McNamara told Syracuse.com. He described Stolarczyk as a hoarder.
“He had a lot of stuff in his place, and we believe the Talericos knew that, and were under the mistaken impression that the home was vacant,” McNamara said.
The house is without electricity and running water and was recently condemned.
Stolarczyk is still in jail but that’s because he doesn’t want to be released, the district attorney said.
“The problem is, he does not want to be released at this point, because he doesn’t have a home, his home was condemned,” McNamara told WKTV, noting that Stolarczyk is dealing with a potentially fatal leg infection.
Nicholas Talerico’s girlfriend, who has not been named, admitted to police to driving her partner and his aunt to Stolarczyk’s house on the fateful day but she has not been charged as of yet and is cooperating with investigators.
In Oneida County, troopers say Deerfield homeowner Ronald Stolarczyk interrupted a burglary & shot two suspects with an illegally-owned handgun. Nicholas & Patricia Anne Talerico died. Stolarczyk is charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm. pic.twitter.com/ohuu8Iweyo
— Tammy Palmer (@TammyPalmerNews) May 29, 2019
“At this point in time, that individual is cooperating with us, that individual has provided us with a lot of information, especially prior acts of Nicholas that do corroborate Mr. Stolarczyk’s version that his house has previously been broken into and items taken. She also consented to us recovering numerous items,” said McNamara.
“I don’t have any present intentions on charging her because we need her to cooperate and continue to cooperate with us when we have questions. If we charge her, we lose a witness and we lose her cooperation. Right now, I think it’s important to get to the bottom of the two deaths, instead of concentrating on whether or not she’s an accomplice to a burglary.”
Stolarczyk has also cooperated with investigators, McNamara said. The defendant said he shouted at the intruders to leave but they refused and came towards him, forcing him to shoot them because he was afraid they would kill him.
“He said he was scared to death and thought he was going to die,” Stolarczyk’s attorney Mark Wolber told Syracuse.com. “Yesterday he was minding his own business in his kitchen, and today he’s in jail.”
ICYMI: @DAOneidaCounty: Actions of Oneida Co. homeowner who killed intruders with illegal gun ‘seem justified’@CNYCentral pic.twitter.com/dWsCsxV9Nk
— mary kielar (@marykielarCNY) May 30, 2019
All appearances indicate that the younger burglar was shot in the chest while Patricia Talerico’s autopsy is pending. If it reveals that she was shot in the back, “that would be a game changer,” the district attorney said.
The illegal handgun in Stolarczyk’s possession was a firearm that belonged to his father that the son didn’t legally register after his father’s death, the district attorney disclosed. It’s a common situation and usually leads to a misdemeanor charge.
A GoFundMe fundraiser for Stolarczyk has raised over $9,000 in four days.
“Ronald Stolarczyk defended his home from two intruders intent on burglarizing his home and now he is sitting in jail facing a felony charge because he used his deceased father’s revolver,” wrote Aaron Dorn, who launched the legal fund fundraiser.
“This is Un-American and Un-Constitutional! People have a right to keep and bear arms and defend their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! And government shouldn’t be violating or infringing on those rights. Those rights that men and women died for!”
Court records show that Patricia Talerico was on parole after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in 2016 and serving about two years in prison. She also had a grand larceny conviction in 2010.
According to WKTV, Talerico was arrested more than 20 times before her death while her nephew had been arrested at least once and also had a criminal record.
