Naked Man Captured by Police

Bruce D'Amore, 24, wasn't about to reveal his real name to the Tuxedo police. He had a very good reason. He was wanted in at least 6 jurisdictions in New Jersey and had 15 prior arrests, mostly on burglary charges. So, after giving them two other false names, he settled on calling himself Christopher M. DiMarco, 24, of Newark, N.J. The police were not buying it but it took them two days to find out their captive's real name.

In any case D'Amore wasn't going anywhere. He had been captured naked after leading the police in a foot chase through the woods, trying to avoid being arrested for the 32 decks of heroin they had found in his possession.

"He's a career criminal at 24," said Tuxedo police Sgt. Patrick Welsh. "We believe we did thwart a burglary."

D'Amore's troubles with the Tuxedo police began about 9 p.m. when Sgt. Patrick Welsh noticed a suspicious vehicle off Route 17. He stopped to investigate and found a man sleeping in the passenger's seat. Under questioning the man claimed to be lost and didn't know where the driver of the vehicle went. He didn't even know the driver's name. Welsh, using his flashlight to scan the woods, discovered someone trying to hide behind a tree.

By this time another officer, Sgt. John Norton, had arrived. Norton attempted to apprehend the man behind the tree and while trying to handcuff him, the suspect elbowed Norton in the face and started to run.

Welsh grabbed at him, and the man's jacket and sweatshirt came off. Welsh caught and tackled the man, and their momentum carried the pair over the guardrail on Stevens Lane, down an embankment.

As he got up to run away again, the man's sweatpants came off.

"Now we're chasing a naked man through the woods," Welsh said.

Norton caught up to the man, tackled him into a tree and subdued him with pepper spray. They found 32 decks of heroin in the jacket that had come off during the struggle. D'Amore was arrested on assault and drug charges.

Police spent the next two days trying to confirm the identity of D'Amore, who tried unsuccessfully to hang himself in the police department's lockup. He was sent without bail to Orange County Jail. The passenger, David K. Griffin II, of Hackensack, N.J., was charged with trespassing, a violation. Sgt. John Norton was treated for a cut to the face and a strained back.

Police are still not sure exactly how the men ended up on Stevens Lane, but think they might have gotten lost on a trip to or from Port Jervis.