Nearly 50 years ago, Mervin “Bobby” Hadden Jr. was known for his burglary exploits: He cut alarm wires, he broke in from rooftops, he torched his way into safes and he set his sights on high-end targets, like jewelry stores.
A Rochester-area resident, Hadden was in and out of jail and prison. Now 76, he lives in Florida. And he is again calling a jail cell his home.
If allegations are true, Hadden still enjoys stealing some of life’s finer offerings: In December, he was arrested in Martin County, Florida, and accused of stealing expensive liquor from several stores.
“Inside his vehicle detectives found a bottle of 25-year-old Macallian single malt whiskey, worth $2,599.99,” said a news release about his arrest.
Retired State Police Investigator George Thompson spent many hours pursuing Hadden during Hadden’s crime spree in the 1970s and 1980s.
“He’s been getting arrested for over 60 years,” Thompson said. “He doesn’t know how to do anything else.”