Niskayuna, NY — Zai John Vanhoesen, 25, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on March 6, 2025, for his involvement in a home invasion and robbery attempt in Niskayuna, Schenectady County, as announced by District Attorney Robert Carney.
Vanhoesen was convicted in November 2024 after an eight-day trial of Burglary in the First Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, and Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree. On January 31, 2023, Vanhoesen and an accomplice forcibly entered an apartment at Hillcrest Village, Niskayuna, by deceiving the occupants into opening the door under the pretense of a package delivery.
Once inside, the men, who were both wearing black masks, brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money. Realizing they had entered the wrong apartment, they fled the scene, leaving a mother and her two adult children terrified. The mother immediately called 911, providing a key lead on the attackers’ vehicle.
Evidence presented during the trial included footage from local surveillance cameras, which showed Vanhoesen and his accomplice. The vehicle, identified by distinctive vanity plates and a large pink Band-Aid decal, was traced back to Vanhoesen’s accomplice. DNA evidence from a water bottle found in the car was linked to Vanhoesen, and further video footage from the area showed him wearing the same clothes as in the store footage, including a camouflage coat.
A victim also identified Vanhoesen as the person who threatened her family with a gun.
Judge Mark J. Caruso, who sentenced Vanhoesen, noted the defendant’s prior 2018 conviction for criminal possession of a weapon and emphasized that Vanhoesen was on parole at the time of the new offenses. Judge Caruso described Vanhoesen as “not salvageable,” although he expressed hope that the defendant might prove him wrong.
The victims of the home invasion were granted 31-year orders of protection, and Judge Caruso acknowledged the victim’s testimony as crucial in securing the conviction, stressing that there was “no question” about Vanhoesen’s involvement in the crime.
Vanhoesen’s sentence includes five years of post-release supervision following his 20-year prison term.
