Chemung County Sheriff’s Investigator in critical condition, man and woman arrested

Gillian Friebis
·4 min read
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The full news conference held by the New York State Police and the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office can be found in the video player above.

UPDATE, March 31: According to the New York State Police, Fatiuana Massaline was arrested in the City of Ithaca on Saturday evening and charged with assault on a police officer (a class C felony) and first-degree reckless endangerment (a class D felony).

Massaline was processed at the New York State Police Department in Horseheads before being arraigned in the Town of Big Flats Court. She is currently being held at the Chemung County Jail on $100,000cash bail or $200,000 property bond.

UPDATE, March 30, 7:35 p.m.: The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office has announced that 24-year-old Fatiuna Massaline is now in police custody. Police say Massaline left Investigator Mike Theetge in critical condition when she hit him with a car while he was pursuing a retail theft suspect.

The sheriff’s office thanked the New York State Police Department, the Ithaca Police Department, and Chemung County Sheriff’s Deputies for their work towards tracking Massaline down.

UPDATE, March 30, 4:06 p.m.: The New York State Police have provided 18 News with more pictures of Fatiuna A. Massaline, who is suspected to have been the driver of the vehicle that hit an officer and left him in critical condition. Anyone who sees Massaline or has information about her location is asked to contact the New York State Police by calling 585-398-4100.

Images of Massaline can be seen below:

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — The Chemung County Sheriff’s Investigator who was injured during a hit and run while chasing a suspect in Big Flats on Friday night is in critical condition. An Ithaca man was arrested for his involvement, and the driver of the vehicle remains at large.

The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, the Chemung County District Attorney, and the New York State Police held a news conference at 1 p.m. on March 30 to provide an update on the investigation into the hit and run. During the conference, Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom identified Chemung County Sheriff’s Investigator Mike Theetge, 35, as the officer injured in the Target parking lot. Theetge remains in critical condition at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital.

Dominick J. Haley, 24, was arrested at the scene and charged with assault on a police officer (a class C violent felony), second-degree assault (a class D felony), petit larceny (a class A misdemeanor), and resisting arrest (a class A misdemeanor). The first assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and the second assault charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. He was processed at the New York State Police Department in Horseheads before being arraigned in the Big Flats Town Court. He is currently being held at the Chemung County Jail on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 property bond.

(Courtesy: Chemung County Sheriff) Dominick J. Haley is currently being held in the Chemung County Jail on multiple charges related to this incident.
(Courtesy: Chemung County Sheriff) Dominick J. Haley is currently being held in the Chemung County Jail on multiple charges related to this incident.

Police identified the driver of the vehicle as 24-year-old Fatiuna A. Massaline of Ithaca. Massaline remains at large, and according to Chemung County District Attorney Weeden Wetmore, she faces the same charges as Haley. Anyone who sees Massaline or has information about her whereabouts is asked to call the New York State Police at 585-398-4100. An image of Massaline that was taken from a Target security camera can be seen below.

(Courtesy: New York State Police) Police are currently looking for Fatiuna A. Massaline, 24, of Ithaca.
(Courtesy: New York State Police) Police are currently looking for Fatiuna A. Massaline, 24, of Ithaca.

According to NYSP Troop E Commander Major Miklos Szoczei, members of the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police Department were working with loss prevention at the Big Flats Target on March 29 to conduct a retail theft operation as part of Governor Hochul’s initiative to fight shoplifting. The operation started at 2 p.m., and police say that at about 6:45 p.m., Haley attempted to leave the store with a TV and other items in a shopping cart without paying. Loss prevention confronted Haley in the store’s vestibule, and he left the items behind.

According to Szoczui, a 2016 black Chevy Impala attempted to pull up to the front of the store to pick up Haley. Law enforcement blocked the vehicle, which they say was driven by Massaline, and it began moving towards Haley to pick him up at the back of the parking lot. Theetge then chased Haley as he ran towards the back of the Impala.

Haley slid across the hood of the vehicle, and Theetge slid onto the hood when he attempted to grab Haley. Police say Massaline accelerated and turned the vehicle sharply, which caused Theetge and Haley to fall off of the hood, and Haley fell on top of Theetge. Theetge suffered a skull fracture and a brain bleed during the fall. He was taken to Guthrie Corning Hospital via ambulance before being airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre.

After the fall, Haley attempted to run away and was arrested a short distance away. A trooper suffered a minor leg injury during the incident and was treated at Guthrie Corning Hospital before being released.

Massaline fled the parking lot at a high-speed, and she abandoned the vehicle nearby.

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