City police haven’t gotten much help from five suspects arrested after an armed standoff Monday, authorities said.
One of the suspects was released from prison on a weapons conviction less than two weeks ago.
All five were arraigned Tuesday in City Court, and each was ordered held on bail of no less than $20,000.
They were arrested in connection with the standoff at the Southgate Apartments on Frank Street. Authorities ultimately tear-gassed the apartment at 225 Frank St. to get the final two suspects out.
“We don’t have the level of cooperation we like,” Schenectady Police Department Lt. Brian Kilcullen said. “In situations like this, individuals are not randomly targeted. They are involved in this for a reason.”
The five arrested were identified as:
u Regina Panetta, 18, of 2321 Fairlee St., Schenectady.
u Juanita Mayben, 19, also known as Keoshia Gregg and Rosa Gregg, of Elmer Avenue, Schenectady.
u Keith Payne, 20, 1917 Croton Ave., Bronx.
u Jayon Noel Ganger, 19, of 267 W. 152nd St., Bronx, (his first name was also spelled in papers Jayvon).
u Akeem Ulmer, 21, 84 King St. Apt. 6, Troy,
Ulmer, records show, was released from state prison 12 days earlier, having served more than two years on a Schenectady weapons conviction.
Monday’s incident began just after 9:15 a.m. Police converged on the apartment complex after witnesses reported gunfire on Frank Street, with suspects rushing into the apartment. A car also may have fled the scene.
Three people, Panetta, Mayben and Ulmer, came out almost two hours later. That left Gangar and Payne to be flushed out by tear gas.
Panetta apparently came out of the apartment second. When asked by officers if anyone remained inside, she said no one was left, police said. A short time later, however, Mayben came out, and after the tear gas was fired in, out came Gangar and Payne.
Kilcullen said police used tear gas because “they weren’t going to come out and we weren’t going to leave.”
The five suspects were not tenants of the apartment but were there with permission of the person leasing it, Kilcullen said.
“They had the right to be there but not the right to fire guns,” he said. “None of them is gainfully employed in a legitimate job.”
All five were charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, accused of possessing a loaded Ruger .22-caliber revolver and a loaded .22-caliber handgun inside the apartment.
Gregg, Payne and Ulmer face the additional felony charge of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon because of prior convictions, Kilcullen said.
Panetta faces the obstructing governmental administration charge. Payne, Mayben and Ulmer also face criminal impersonation counts, accused of giving police false names.
Ulmer allegedly gave the false name because he was on parole, according to documents. He had just been released from state prison March 19, after serving more than two years of a three-year sentence.
In that case, Ulmer was one of two Queens men arrested in March 2005 after a traffic stop and brief chase on Carrie Street. The men were accused of fleeing from police, leaving behind a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a revolver, records show. Ulmer was also accused then of possessing heroin.
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