econolodge_120Sheriff Ken Lansing reports that on Wednesday (10/30) at around 3:40pm members from the Tompkins County Sheriff's Department, Cayuga Heights Police Department and Ithaca City Police Department responded to the Econo Lodge located at 2303 North Triphammer Road in the Village of Lansing for a robbery in progress involving a handgun.

Deputies arriving on the scene located a female in the parking lot of the Econo Lodge.  She reported that she was held at gun point by a black male wearing a grey sweatshirt and pants.  The male subject fled on foot in a westerly direction from the Econo Lodge.  Law Enforcement on the scene were conducting a canvass of the area when they received information that the subject was located in the area and taken into custody without incident.  A semi automatic handgun was recovered.

The male subject was identified as Elhajji M. Elshabazz, age 23, of the City of Buffalo, NY.  It was discovered at that time that Elshabazz was wanted in connection with a homicide which took place in the City of Buffalo.

Elshabazz was transported to the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office where he was processed and charged with Robbery in the First degree (a Class B felony), Criminal Use of a Firearm (a Class B Felony), and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (a Class A Misdemeanor).

Elshabazz was arraigned at the Town of Lansing Court before Judge John Howell and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail without bail.

v9i41