Police: Kingston woman stole from dead man

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. » A Kingston woman is facing felony charges, accused of stealing a debit card from a dead man and then using it to make purchases, town police said Wednesday.

Sarah M. Schatzel, 34, of 117 Washington Ave., Kingston, was arrested by Saugerties police at 4:15 p.m. Monday, May 9, at her home following an investigation that began one day after the death of her acquaintance on Dec. 7, 2021, at 26 Arthur Lane, Saugerties, Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said.

Schatzel was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies.

Sinagra did not identify the dead man, but one day after his death, police began an investigation into unauthorized debit card transactions from his bank account. Saugerties police detectives determined that Schatzel stole the card after the man’s death and used it to make numerous purchases in Saugerties and the town of Ulster.

Schatzel was arraigned in Saugerties Town Court and released with an appearance ticket for May 18.

Schatzel also faces charges in Hurley stemming from an arrest at 1:20 p.m. Monday, May 9, when state police at Ulster charged her in connection with an incident reported on Saturday, July 10, 2021.

Earlier Monday, Schatzel was charged with the misdemeanors of manufacturing drug-related paraphernalia, criminal possession of a controlled substance and acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17. Prior to her arrest by Saugerties police in Kingston later Monday afternoon, Schatzel had been released by state police with tickets for Hurley Town Court.