New York Man Charged With 10 Burglaries Of Amish Homes
It looks like another run of targeting the Amish has come to an end.
A Brocton, New York man is facing a 35-count indictment over a string of burglaries at Amish homes in the far western end of the state.
The burglaries happened in various parts of Chautauqua County, which is home to several separate Amish settlements. More from WGRZ:
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 46-year-old Jarrett Sikes was arraigned in court June 15 on a 35-count indictment.
The charges follow an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office into 10 separate alleged burglary incidents.
Reports of break-ins came in over last summer. Between July and September of 2025, Amish residents in the area of Chautauqua, Portland, and Sherman told investigators their homes had been broken into and belongings taken.
Sikes seems to have had an accomplice, at least for some of the attempts:
Police say they identified two alleged suspects during the investigation: Sikes and 56-year-old Melinda Pelayo of Dunkirk.
It appears Pelayo faces less severe charges, as she was released on her own recognizance. She is only mentioned in connection with two charges (attempted burglary).
The indictment against Sikes includes 11 counts of second-degree burglary, plus over 20 further charges of grand larceny and criminal possession, tied to 10 separate burglary incidents.
What was taken from the Amish homes? Investigators say stolen items included guns, and personal property worth thousands of dollars.
Firearms turning up in the haul isn’t as surprising as it might sound, since hunting is common in a lot of Amish communities. It’s hardly strange to see a shotgun or rifle or two on the wall of an Amish bedroom, or in a gun cabinet. Some criminals are going to be aware of this. Investigators say they recovered some of the stolen property.
Choosing “Easy” Targets?
It appears that this isn’t the only trouble Sikes and Pelayo have been in. According to the Dunkirk Observer, the pair were charged as part of a group stealing from cemeteries:
Sikes and Pelayo were also among 10 people charged in December by Dunkirk city police officers following a coordinated investigation into a series of larcenies committed at local cemeteries.
Beginning in October, the Dunkirk Police Department received a report of thefts involving a large number of bronze vases and other grave markers taken from gravesites at Willowbrook Cemetery in the city of Dunkirk.
Upon further investigation, it was learned that a similar incident had occurred in the town of Dunkirk.
It seems this fits a pattern, of targeting places where the occupants are not expected to put up much, if any resistance.
Targeting The Amish – And Ultimately Failing, Again
Here’s yet another case of criminals thinking the Amish will make easy pickings. It seems they did alright for awhile, but it caught up to them.
The perception that the Amish are “safer” targets – less likely to put up resistance – likely makes them more attractive targets to some wrongdoers. Another aspect is the (often incorrect) belief that the Amish don’t involve the authorities. This case is another example showing the flaw in that thinking – the Amish victims actively reported the crimes.
This story has echoes of a burglary ring broken up in 2023 in Mercer County, Pennsylvania – 21 break-ins at Amish properties over more than a year. One of those suspects, as it happens, was from Fredonia, in the same county, just up the road from Brocton, home to one of the accused.
The article doesn’t give details on how they allegedly operated. But those who target the Amish often take advantage of the situation – hitting them when they expect they’ll be gone (eg, Sunday mornings during church), or vulnerable, as in those cases of Amish being robbed while out on relatively isolated country roads in their buggies.
At the least, it seems there was no brutal attack involved in these crimes, as we saw last year in the Geauga County robbery and assault case.
Sikes’ bail has been set at $100,000 cash or a $200,000 property bond. As mentioned, Pelayo was released without bail. They are due back for a discovery conference at a later date.
Sikes Pelayo Charged
Good!! I hope Sikes gets locked up for a very long time. Stealing from the Amish is bad enough, but stealing from the dead is just plain horrible. Hope he enjoys his little stint in custody! Let this be a warning to others: Amish can and WILL get the local authorities involved.