Albany Man Smashed Out Stewart’s Window to Grab What?

Police arrested an Albany man over the weekend for throwing a trash can through the front window of a Stewarts Shop.

According to the Times Union, 49 year old Ray Richardson smashed the window at the Henry Johnson Boulevard store around 2:50am Sunday morning to retrieve a couple packs of smokes. Officers investigating the incident spotted the man matching the description a short time later and he was taken into custody. He is being held without bail facing charges of third-degree burglary, petit larceny, and criminal mischief.

Sounds like a desperate man who just needed his nicotine fix. I’ve done a lot of work with Stewart’s over the years through radio, and the staff is always great. One summer we did a promotion where we gave away four Incredible Summer Prize Packs which included a mountain bike, a fridge full of mountain dew, and 500 bucks from Stewart’s. The place was packed and everyone had a great time. It's a shame about this incident. I can only help but think if Mr. Richardson was at one of these Stewarts promotions, he may have won $500 and he could have bought all the smokes he could want, instead of resorting to breaking in to the store.