Justin Fay

It turns out that one of the three young men arrested Saturday night for allegedly breaking into the Harvester Center has strong ties to Batavia.

He is Justin S. Fay, 24, a former Batavia High School honor student and Boy Scout Troop 6069's first Eagle Scout. He was also enrolled in the honors program at University of Buffalo.

Fay, along with two alleged accomplices with home addresses from outside Genesee County, was taken into custody Saturday night during a heavy rain storm at the Harvester Center. A lock had apparently been picked, which is how the trio allegedly gained entry to the building.

At the time of his arrest, Fay apparently listed his home address in Rochester, but previously he lived in Batavia, according to police.

An April 10, 2003 article in the Batavia Daily News says Fay lived on Naramore Drive with his mother Mary Ann Fay. According to police records, Fay was a witness in a 2002 incident and listed his address on Naramore Drive.

The Daily News story is about Fay, then 18, becoming an Eagle Scout.

For his Eagle Scout project, Fay cleared hiking trails at Godfrey's Pond, cutting away overgrowth and putting down new path bumpers.

Scouting has been a life-changing experience, he said.

"I learned valuable leadership skills, how to gain and give respect, and how to be a good person and follow the Scout law in my everyday life," he said.

In 2001, in Grade 11 at BHS, Fay was listed in the paper as an honor student. He was again listed in 2002 as a senior.

As for his time at the University of Buffalo, the Daily News reported on June 20, 2005:

Justin Fay of Batavia has been inducted into the Omicron Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society at the University at Buffalo. Students selected must be seniors in a liberal arts degree program and maintain a 3.75 or higher GPA. Justin is majoring in computer science and engineering.