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The Sag Harbor Inn, where William Cruz was taken into custody earlier this month. STEPHEN J. KOTZ
After an investigation that wound its way through Sag Harbor, New York State Police detectives arrested William Cruz, 31, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Wednesday, October 13, in connection with the murder of his wife, Masany Cruz, 29.
State Police said Cruz was charged as a fugitive from justice, based on an arrest warrant out of District County Court in El Paso County, Colorado.
The investigation involved Sag Harbor Village Police, who were contacted by police from North Plainfield, New Jersey, on October 4, and told Masany Cruz had been reported missing by family members who lived in that community and was believed to be in Sag Harbor.
Sag Harbor Police Chief Austin J. McGuire said North Plainfield Police were able to trace the couple’s cellphones to the Sag Harbor Inn. When Sergeant Michael Labrozzi and Officer Randy Steyert arrived, there was no answer, so the manager unlocked the door for them. He said they encountered William Cruz, who spoke to them briefly before grabbing a knife and locking himself in the bathroom, where he threatened to kill himself.
The chief said Labrozzi spent about an hour-and-a-half trying to talk Cruz into coming out of the bathroom. In the meantime, members of the East Hampton Town Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit and New York State investigators were called to the scene.
State Police were able to obtain a “mental health hold” on Cruz, who was taken into custody for initial questioning and taken to the hospital for observation, according to McGuire.
He said as the situation unfolded in Sag Harbor, the authorities were able to contact police in Colorado Springs, who went to the couple’s home, where Masany Cruz was found dead. Police did not disclose how she died.
According to State Police, investigators in several jurisdictions pursued numerous leads and collected evidence to obtain an arrest warrant in Colorado. McGuire said Lieutenant Robert Drake uncovered “evidence that was crucial to the case” in the motel room, and he flew overnight to Colorado Springs to deliver it to police there.
State Police said Masany Cruz had not been heard from since approximately September 14. They said William Cruz left Colorado on or about September 15 and arrived on Long Island on September 18.
McGuire said he did not know why Cruz came to Sag Harbor.
Cruz was processed at the New York State Police barracks in Riverside and held at the Southampton Town Police Department for arraignment on Thursday, October 14, at Suffolk County First District Court, according to State Police.
McGuire said he expected Cruz to be taken back to Colorado to face charges there.
Stephen J. Kotz on Oct 14, 2021