Shawnte Pringle : “May 15 Bethlehem Police Blotter: Glenmont Theft, UHaul Chase Charges”

Woman apprehended on numerous occasions within 18 months, found to have an outstanding warrant

GLENMONT – While our focus typically steers clear of reporting on minor thefts or misdemeanour offences, the recurring presence of Shawnte Pringle, a 49-year-old resident of Albany, in our news coverage cannot be ignored. Pringle has been embroiled in a string of legal troubles ranging from minor infractions to serious felonies. In this latest incident, she led law enforcement on a high-speed chase while behind the wheel of a UHaul truck following a larceny in Glenmont. This marks at least the eighth instance in the last 18 months where she has been apprehended in the towns of Colonie and Bethlehem.

On Sunday, May 5, at 9:21 p.m., Bethlehem police received a report of a theft at the Walmart on Route 9W. As officers were en route to the scene, they were informed that the suspects had fled in a large UHaul box truck and that the store intended to press charges.

Patrol units attempted to pull over the truck, which was being driven by Pringle, but she evaded them until she crashed the vehicle near the intersection of Southern Boulevard and McCarty Avenue in the City of Albany.

Subsequently abandoning the truck, Pringle attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by officers a short distance from the crash site.

Pringle, who was found to be driving without a valid license and displaying signs of impairment, failed field sobriety tests and tested negative for alcohol on a preliminary breath test. She was taken into custody and transported to the police station, where State Police were summoned to investigate the crash due to its occurrence in the City of Albany.

Upon questioning at the police station, Pringle admitted to having consumed heroin and crack cocaine an hour prior to the incident. She underwent a blood test and assessment by a Drug Recognition Expert, and was found to be in possession of a glass smoking pipe.

Pringle was charged by Bethlehem police with petit larceny, resisting arrest, unlawful fleeing from law enforcement, driving while ability impaired by drugs, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation – all misdemeanours. Additionally, she was issued citations for eight traffic violations. State Police also issued citations for the violations within the city of Albany.

Notably, Pringle had an outstanding warrant from Albany County Court for her failure to appear there, leading to her subsequent incarceration in the Albany County jail.

This incident was not the first of its kind for Pringle.

Earlier, on Thursday, May 11, 2023, Bethlehem police responded to CVS on Delaware Avenue at approximately 4:15 a.m. following a report of two individuals shoplifting inside the store. A male and a female were observed by store employees filling bags with merchandise before exiting and entering a black SUV. Upon arriving at the scene, officers conducted a traffic stop on the SUV on Elsmere Avenue.

During the interrogation, the driver claimed to have picked up the two passengers and transported them to CVS to collect medication.

The two passengers, identified as a 29-year-old Albany man and Pringle, were found with bags containing stolen items within the vehicle.

Pringle provided a false identity and resisted arrest, but was eventually apprehended and charged with petit larceny in addition to other offences.

In October, Pringle was arrested alongside another individual for attempting to steal two generators from Tractor Supply in Glenmont. The duo had made three unsuccessful attempts to pilfer items from the store within a week. Pringle initially provided a false identity to law enforcement in October, prompting Bethlehem Town Court to issue a warrant for her arrest on December 2, 2022. She was subsequently taken into custody on the warrant in January to face the additional charge, and was released under probationary supervision in that case.

Further adding to her legal woes, Pringle was arrested in Colonie on December 3, 2022, the day after Bethlehem issued its warrant, at the Buy Buy Baby store on Central Avenue. At the time of her arrest, she possessed an outstanding warrant from Colonie and provided law enforcement with a false identity, in addition to being found with a quantity of illicit substances. Pringle was charged with false personation and criminal possession of a controlled substance, processed on the warrant, and issued an appearance ticket.

Subsequent to her release from the Albany County jail following a previous arrest, Colonie police re-apprehended Pringle on Monday, March 13, 2023, on a warrant for her failure to appear in court.

She was once again issued an appearance ticket and remanded to the Albany County jail until her scheduled arraignment later in the day at Colonie Town Court.

At the arraignment hearing in the Bethlehem case, Pringle was presented before Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan and subsequently transferred to the Albany County jail.

Warrant

DELMAR – Bethlehem police were conducting an investigation into a larceny at the Walmart on Route 9W on April 3, 2023, when they were alerted to another ongoing theft within the store.

Reports indicate that the suspect absconded from the store with stolen goods, and officers swiftly apprehended Frank Weaver Jr., a 50-year-old homeless individual, in the store’s parking lot. Weaver was found in possession of needles, which were confiscated for disposal.

He was initially charged with petit larceny and released on an appearance ticket, but subsequently failed to appear in court.

Almost a year later, on Thursday, May 2, Albany police took Weaver into custody on the bench warrant issued by Bethlehem. He was processed and arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court before being released on his own recognizance. Weaver is slated to appear in court on May 21.

Burglary at Speedway

SLINGERLANDS – A 53-year-old Albany man allegedly leapt over the front counter of the Speedway on New Scotland Road to pilfer cigarettes, following an earlier theft of food from the same establishment.

According to reports, Keven Washington entered the store at 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8, where he took food without paying, and then returned at 7:06 a.m., jumped the front counter, stole cigarettes, and fled the scene.

Store staff promptly alerted the authorities.

Bethlehem officers located Washington in the Price Chopper parking lot across the street and placed him under arrest.

He was charged with burglary and petit larceny, arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Ryan Donovan, and released on his own recognizance. Washington is scheduled to appear in court on June 4.

Warrant

GLENMONT – Bethlehem police responded to a medical office on Route 9W on Wednesday, May 8, at 6:13 a.m. following reports of a man loitering behind a pillar in front of a business. Officers located Thomas Bailey, a 38-year-old from Matthews, NC, at a nearby wine store. Subsequent checks revealed that Bailey was wanted by Coeymans Police. He was taken into custody and transferred to authorities from that department.

No license, no trousers, but had a warrant

LOUDONVILLE – Colonie police intercepted a vehicle near the intersection of Albany Shaker Road and Miracle Lane on Monday, May 6, at 2:01 a.m. for traffic infringements, only to discover that the driver was the subject of an outstanding warrant.

Michael Jeram, a 33-year-old resident of Loudonville, was found to be driving without a valid license. He was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and issued a ticket for an improper signal.

Jeram had an outstanding warrant for his failure to appear in Albany County court. In April, he was charged with grand larceny and identity theft, both felony offences, for an incident in Loudonville on March 5. Additionally, he was charged with non-appearance in Colonie Town Court on two occasions in October.

Jeram had previously been arrested in September for identity theft and public indecency following separate investigations.

Allegations against Jeram included an incident on August 29 where he was reportedly exposing himself while walking near Tipton Drive, as well as a series of identity thefts and a larceny in May 2023.

For these transgressions, Jeram faced charges of grand larceny, identity theft in the first degree, and multiple counts of identity theft in the third degree, all felonies, in addition to a charge of public indecency, a misdemeanour. He was remanded to the Albany County jail.