Four adults and a juvenile are under arrest after officers caught them fleeing an attempted burglary at Libby’s Motor Sport at 60 Printers Lane early Tuesday morning.
So reported New Haven Police Department spokesman Officer David Hartman in a press release Tuesday afternoon.
Here is Hartman’s account of the events:
At 2:57 a.m., Officer Steve McMorris inched his cruiser into the darkened parking lot adjacent to the business. He was responding to a burglar alarm call. He spotted a man peering over the wall at the front of the shop. When the man eyed officer McMorris, he took off running. McMorris’ commands to stop were ignored so he gave chase. Suddenly, McMorris found himself chasing two people. The perps made it over a fence topped with barbed and razor wire. McMorris radioed their direction to other responding officers.
With officers on their way, McMorris took a look around and spotted subject number three. A man was hiding behind one of the business’ trucks. McMorris’ commands to stop weren’t heeded by this guy either. With McMorris in pursuit, the man ran down Printers Lane toward the Boulevard and into the waiting handcuffs of officers Keron Bryce and Lindsey Jordan.
As that man was being taken into custody, officer Dana Smith spotted two more people running from the building behind the shop. They were apprehended quickly and found to be one adult and one juvenile. Officers noted that the two had blood on their hands and believe the two injured themselves on the barbed/razor wire fence. One suspect was treated at the scene; the juvenile was taken to the Pediatric Emergency Department at Yale New Haven Hospital. Her injuries are not serious.
When Officers Larnell Jackson and Paul Prusinski arrived, they spotted a man running along the river bank behind the shop. Prusinski grabbed and handcuffed him.
As the officers searched further, they spotted another man who’d partially submerged himself in the cold waters of the West River. He lay wet and motionless as Prusinski ordered him to come to the bank. He too joined the officers at the riverbank for his apprehension.
When the shop’s owner arrived, it was determined that although damage was done when the crooks tried breaking in, they weren’t successful.
The five have been charged with criminal attempt to commit burglary in the third degree, conspiracy to commit burglary in the third degree, criminal trespass in the third degree, interfering with police and criminal mischief in the third degree.