Saratoga Springs’ ‘sleeper creeper’ has sentence cut in half

An appeals court has reduced the prison sentence of the so-called "sleeper creeper," the man convicted of breaking into Saratoga Springs homes and watching people sleep.

Ramiz Hajratalli, who residents of Saratoga Springs gave the nickname, will now serve up to 15 years in state prison for burglarizing homes in 2017.

After a jury found him guilty of two separate burglaries, Judge Jim Murphy sentenced him to the maximum of 30 years in prison.

However, the Supreme Court’s appellate decision ruled that the sentence was "harsh and excessive" because Hajratalli didn’t touch anyone.

Justice John Egan wrote the dissenting opinion, saying the trial judge’s sentence was "within statutory parameters."