A report of a suspicious male wandering around the Hotel Jamestown late Sunday morning led to an arrest. Jamestown Police responded to the scene at about 11:00 AM, and as they were arriving, the complainant called back to report that the man had been encountered inside a secured area of the building and was seen rummaging through personal property belonging to hotel residents. Officers say the suspect -- later identified as 32-year-old Mark Burch, Jr. -- fled the building a short time later, but they were able to track his path to a location near the Washington Street bridge. Burch was found there, hiding in dense vegetation. Burch, who was found to have active bench warrants for his arrest, was taken into custody without further incident. Police add that a search revealed that he was in possession of a quantity of methamphetamine and suboxone. In addition to his outstanding warrants, Burch was charged with 2nd-degree burglary, 3rd-degree criminal tampering, possession of burglar's tools, and two counts of 7th-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is being held in the Chautauqua County Jail on $2,500 bail.
Photo by the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office
