Former Delaware County Tenant Arrested for Trespass

A Delaware County man is accused of overstaying his welcome at a property where he used to live.

A former tenant of a Delaware County property is accused of breaking into the property following his eviction.

Sheriff’s officials say they were at a property at State Highway 206 the Town of Masonville on the afternoon of September 8 as the Sheriff’s office Civil Division and the property owner completed a court-ordered eviction of a resident.

According to a news release from the Delaware County Sheriff’s office, deputies were called to a reported trespass in progress at that home where the eviction had taken place, several hours after the resident had been kicked out.

On arrival, Deputies found the former resident, 31-year-old James Cook, inside the home.

Authorities say they discovered the home had been forced into and there was damage to the property.  Investigators have accused Cook as being the person breaking into the home and causing the damage.  They also say they found Cook had made verbal threats to the property owner via an unspecified “electronic communication device.”

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Cook was arrested in the evening of Sunday, September 11 and charged with felony Burglary (in the Second Degree, which is a class C offense), as well two counts of Criminal Mischief (in the Fourth Degree), one count of Aggravated Harassment (in the Second Degree) and one count of Criminal Trespass (in the Second Degree), which are all misdemeanors.

Cook was arraigned in Town of Masonville Court and Sent to the Delaware County Correctional Facility.

Authorities say Cook has been ordered to be back in Town of Masonville Court at a later date to answer to the charges filed against him.

There were no reports of injuries and the news release from the Sheriff’s office did not indicate that any items not belonging to Cook had been removed from the property.