Shortly after 6:00am on July 25, 2016 this agency received a report of a stolen vehicle from a Mayflower Rd residence in the Noroton Bay section of Darien. While officers were investigating the car theft, it was determined that several other vehicles had been burglarized and that more vehicles had been stolen as well. In all, four (4) vehicles were stolen and ten (10) vehicles were burglarized.
Investigation revealed that at approximately 4:00am at least three individuals began entering numerous unlocked parked vehicles in driveways and on the roads of Noroton Bay. The individuals were searching for keys with the intent of stealing the vehicles. The following vehicles were subsequently stolen from various Noroton Bay residences:
- 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2013 BMW X5
- 2012 Ford Edge
- 2009 BMW Convertible
A canvass of the area produced the stolen Ford Edge at the intersection of Nearwater Ln and Baywater Dr. Detectives then learned that the BMW X5 had been involved in an evading motor vehicle accident at approximately 5:45am in Hartford, CT. Using the BMW Assist tracking system, Darien officers relayed the vehicle’s location to Hartford officers and it was subsequently recovered on Sherbrooke Ave in Hartford. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time.
At approximately 12:00pm Hartford officers contacted Darien Detectives and advised that they had located the stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee and attempted to stop it. The vehicle engaged officers in pursuit but due to the dangerous nature, was terminated a short time later. At 12:30pm the vehicle was again located by Hartford Police and a Drug Enforcement Agent and a second pursuit began. Officers were then able to stop the vehicle and took four occupants into custody.
- Driver: 17 year old male juvenile from Hartford - Larceny 1st and numerous motor vehicle charges
- Passenger: 17 year old male juvenile from East Hartford - Larceny by Possession
- Passenger: Gerald Jackson 19 year old male from Hartford - Interfering With An Officer
- Passenger: Katarina Harris 19 year old female from New Britain - Interfering With An Officer
These individuals are known to be part of a group that targets neighborhoods in which residents leave their vehicles unlocked and with the keys in them. The vehicles are later sold on the street and used to facilitate narcotic sales and often are involved in police pursuits. As a reminder, residents are urged to lock their vehicles at all times while unattended and never to leave the car keys inside.
All four arrested subjects remain in the custody of the Hartford Police Department. At this point, all four stolen motor vehicles have been recovered.