With the help of a quick-acting almost-victim, police caught a 34-year-old man at the corner of West Elm Street and Alden Avenue with a “a reusable shopping bag filled with stolen packages” from people’s porches.
They arrested him and returned the packages “to their rightful owners.”
So reports top West Hills/Westville/Amity/Beverly Hills/West Rock cop Lt. Rose Dell in her latest written summary of notable incidents in the district, occurring between Feb. 2 and Feb. 9.
Dell’s written report follows:
FROM 2/2/19 to 2/9/19 POLICE RESPONDED TO 169 CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE WESTVILLE/WEST HILLS SECTION OF NEW HAVEN. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF NOTABLE INCIDENTS:
NABBED RED-HANDED: On Monday afternoon, a resident of Central Avenue saw a large package had been delivered for his neighbor in the foyer area of their two family home. He heard some noises in the hallway and went to offer his neighbor a helping hand with the oversized package. He then saw that the package was gone and, through the glass front door, a male walking away from the house carrying it. He approached the male and demanded its return. The perp obliged and then took off on foot towards Fountain Street. The resident quickly called the police and provided a detailed description of the perp along with his direction of travel. Responding Officers located [the suspect], 34 of New Haven, on the corner of West Elm Street and Alden Avenue with a reusable shopping bag filled with stolen packages. He was arrested and charged with burglary and larceny. All packages were returned to their rightful owners.
Officer Christopher Cacela conducted motor vehicle enforcement in the area of Whalley Avenue and Dayton Street. He clocked a vehicle whizzing by at 50 mph. The operator was arrested for driving with a suspended license and speeding.
A resident of Richmond Avenue reported that the inside of his vehicle had been ransacked sometime in the overnight hours on 1/6, and a tool set was stolen. He believed he locked the car the previous evening. There was no damage to the exterior of the vehicle.
On 2/7/19, a resident of Ramsdell Street flagged down Officer Jeffrey Luis at 2 am in the area of Yale Avenue and Chapel Street. He reported that he found the driver’s side door to his pick-up truck ajar. He looked inside and saw that his army camouflage fanny pack was missing. The fanny pack contained $1,000 in cash, his social security card, driver’s license and Discover credit card. He admitted that the truck may have been left unlocked.
Wednesday afternoon numerous occupants of a Blake Street apartment complex reported hearing a heated argument between a resident and a postman. The resident had some choice words for the postman and accused him of sitting in his truck for two hours which delayed the delivering of her mail-order medication.
On 2/7/19, two females met in a parking lot on South Genesee Street to settle their differences over a male they are both dating. Blows were not exchanged even though a pole, mace, a knife and a stick were brought to the meet-up.
The property manager of a Fountain Street apartment complex reported that a bag of quarters, the keys to the washing machines, and some cordless tools were stolen from the laundry room sometime between 2/7 – 2/8. The window on the west side of the building had been removed from the frame. Detectives responded to dust for fingerprints and swab for DNA.