March 14, 2025
Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker is congratulating Hornell Police Sgt. Investigator Tom Aini, for his fast acting police work in catching a suspect who is wanted for allegedly raping a child in Hornell. According to the D.A., on Wednesday, Investigator Aini received a report from Steuben County Child Protective Services about the allegations. The investigator also found out, that the suspect had fled the area. Hornell Police Chief Ted Murray says, Investigator Aini questioned the alleged victims, and then organized a search effort, which included the Hornell Police Department, the Steuben County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security’s Buffalo Office.
“We didn’t know where the individual went, he just left the area,” said Police Chief Ted Murray. “So Sgt. Murray worked with Sgt. Investigator Aini and we were able to track Bodnar’s phone and we were able to find Bodnar’s location. Based on that, we were able to find out that Bodnar was at the airport in New Jersey.”
According to D.A. Brooks Baker, this was an arrest, that went right down to the wire. “I was on the phone with my investigator Jeremy Hagedone, who was working with Homeland Security and Investigator Aini,” Baker tells WLEA News. “Homeland Security had agents following the suspect, Mihaly Bodnar, through New York City and into the Newark Airport. Homeland Security was reaching out to us, saying, ‘Where’s the warrant? We’ll pick him up – where’s the warrant? Where’s the warrant?” Well the moment that Investigator Aini got that warrant signed by Judge David Coddington in the Hornell City Court, we were able to text message the Homeland Security officers, and they picked the defendant up right then and there. It was really an impressive operation, and but for the swift and thorough investigative efforts of Sgt. Aini and the efforts of those others mentioned, this child predator would have boarded a plane to parts, unknown, avoiding justice,” Baker said.
The timeline was this: the complaint came in on Wednesday, March 12, the arrest at Newark International was made on Thursday, March 13.
