Yes, thieves continue to steal stuff from unlocked vehicles in Westville. But they’re also breaking in to locked premises as well.
So it appears from the latest weekly police blotter written by top West Hills/ West Rock/ Westville/ Amity/ Beaver Hills cops Lt. Rose Dell.
She reports three burglaries within a quarter mile of Edgewood Park, along with other thefts and intrusions and shootings throughout the district, including drug and theft activity around the Pond Lily Avenue area hotels.
Dell’s report follows:
FROM 7/28/19 to 8/3/19 POLICE RESPONDED TO 233 CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE WESTVILLE/WEST HILLS SECTION OF NEW HAVEN. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF NOTABLE INCIDENTS:
On 7/28, police responded to Solomon Crossing on a weapons complaint. A black male with glasses was seen running around the complex with a handgun. Officers located the subject and detained him while they looked for the gun. No gun was found, but the subject’s girlfriend approached the Officers and said that about an hour ago he punched her in the face, slashed her tires and broke her stereo system. The subject was arrested and searched. Officers located 15 paper folds that contained a substance that tested positive for heroin. The subject was charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell and numerous domestic violence offenses. He also had an outstanding warrant for a theft he committed at Mohegan Sun.
A resident of West Elm Street returned home on 7/28 and found his garage bay door open. When he looked inside, he noticed his lawn mower was missing, and the side window was broken. Fingerprint technicians arrived on scene but were unable to find any prints.
Monday evening Detective Crespo and Detective Bombace from the Connecticut State Police were patrolling the area of Whalley Avenue near Pond Lily Avenue. The hotel owners and various other businesses have complained of drug activity and prostitution in the area. The Detectives, with the assistance of Officer Mastroianni and Officer Dash, stopped a Volvo station wagon with temporary plates in the 1300 block of Whalley Avenue. Officers located a plastic bag in the driver’s side door that contained 500 wax folds with heroin. The driver was arrested for drug possession with the intent to sell.
On 7/28, police were dispatched to the Regal Inn on the report of a robbery. A guest reported that she was in her room when she heard a knock on the door. Two males were at the door, one who she knew. She allowed them to enter the room, and they pulled out knives and threatened to shoot her and another guest with a gun. They stole $40-$50 from a wallet and then left the room.
On Tuesday, at around 2 a.m., a resident of Victory Drive came home and noticed a light on in her living room that she had shut off before she left. She entered her apartment through the back door and saw two unknown individuals sitting on a couch and a lounge chair in her living room. She screamed at them to leave, and they walked out the front door. Nothing was stolen. Both subjects were described as black males, around 5’10” with thin builds and short hair, clad in blue jeans and white t‑shirts.
Police responded to the area of Brookside Avenue and Wintergreen Avenue on 7/29 at 6:30 p.m. on the report of someone shot. A passerby called 911 and said a person wearing a black do-rag ran into the woods. Officers looked for a gunshot victim but instead found a group of kids in the area who were filming a Youtube video. One of the kids was lying on the ground and another, wearing a black do-rag, had run into the woods as part of the video.
On 7/31, between 4 – 6 p.m., three burglaries occurred within a quarter mile radius of Edgewood Park. Officers responded first to a home on West Park Avenue. The resident was upstairs in his bedroom when his dog started to bark. He heard two male voices in the upstairs bedroom across the hall from his and then saw them sprint out of the house when they heard the dog barking. Nothing was stolen but the kitchen window screen had been cut, and an outdoor chair had been placed under the window. Officers then responded to a home on Yale Avenue. The resident returned home around 5:30 p.m. and found the rear door had been forced open. A van was stolen from the driveway as well as multiple computers and spare keys to their vehicles. The van was located later than night on Osborn Avenue and was processed by forensic detectives for evidence. A resident on Edgewood Avenue arrived home at 5:40 pm and found that the air conditioner had been removed from the kitchen window. An Ipad and some money were stolen. Detectives are following up on numerous leads.
Friday morning police responded to Valley Street near West Hills Road on a person shot. Officers located a 28-year-old male who had multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment and was listed in critical but stable condition. Detectives arrived on scene to look for video footage of the incident and to speak with witnesses.
Between 7/30 – 7/31, an unlocked vehicle was entered on Harrison Street and a wallet was stolen. A resident of Fountain Terrace reported that her vehicle was rummaged through sometime between 7/31 – 8/1. Some cash, a pair of sneakers, and a lottery ticket were stolen. The vehicle was also unlocked.