Quick reflexes helped a cop grab an unpermitted black Taurus 709 slim firearm with six live rounds inside during a car stop at Chapel Street and Central Avenue; and a repeat thief made off with bottles of Natty Daddy and Jose Cuervo
Those are among the incidents detailed in top West Hills/ West Rock/ Westville/ Amity/ Beverly Hills cop Lt. Rose Dell’s latest weekly crime report.
The report also includes crime prevention tips based on thefts of money and other valuables.
Dell’s report follows.
FROM 11/17/19 to 11/23/19 POLICE RESPONDED TO 192 CALLS FOR SERVICE IN THE WESTVILLE/WEST HILLS SECTION OF NEW HAVEN. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF NOTABLE INCIDENTS:
A 2015 Gray Lexus IS 250 was stolen Sunday evening from the parking lot of Gusher’s Food Mart at 1296 Whalley Avenue. The owner left the vehicle running while he went into the store. The owner pinged his phone, that was also in the vehicle, and located it in the roadway at Whalley Avenue and Orchard Street. Another vehicle, a 2019 red Subaru Legacy, was stolen from a driveway on Greenhill Terrace on 11/18. A wallet and medical cards were left in the vehicle.
Overnight on 11/19, a Nissan Rogue and a Honda CR‑V parked in the garage of 400 Blake Street had all four tires and rims removed. PRO TIP: Purchase wheel locks or turn your wheels to a 45 degree angle after parking.
This week Westville residents reported 4 car break-ins. On 11/16, a vehicle parked on Alston Avenue was ransacked. A pair of prescription sunglasses, some loose change, and a gym bag with sneakers were stolen. Overnight on Wednesday, a change purse and a make-up bag were stolen from an unlocked vehicle on Cleveland Road. A resident of Pond Lily Avenue left his Dodge Ram truck unlocked in his driveway overnight. Approximately $500 was stolen from the center console and some tools. A resident of 300 Blake Street reported that she received a text message from her bank at 4 am on 11/20 which alerted her to possible fraudulent activity on her debit card. She checked her vehicle and found that her passenger side door was opened, and her glove box and center console were empty. Her wallet was missing. She admitted that she never locks her car.
On 11/21, an unknown male entered Westville Wines at 864 Whalley Avenue, paid for some alcoholic beverages at the counter then requested a bottle of Jose Cuervo 200 ml and a 24-ounce Natty Daddy. The clerk handed him the 2 bottles, and he took off from the store without paying. He returned a couple of hours later, tried to purchase more alcohol and then tussled with the clerk over a box of BIC lighters. He exited the store, hopped on a moped and traveled eastbound on Whalley Avenue. The clerk said this unknown male has been responsible for several thefts in the past months. The officers searched for the black male on a moped but were unable to locate him.
An elderly resident of the 800 block of Whalley Avenue received a phone call from an individual who said that he was a representative from United Illuminating (UI). He said that the resident’s UI bill was past due, and he needed to pay $398.44 to ensure that his electricity was not turned off. He believed the caller, because his wife had just received an email which said that their account was overdue. He paid the bill over the phone. When his wife returned home, she told him she already paid the bill. PRO TIP: Don’t give your credit card numbers, bank account numbers or other personal information to anyone who calls you. Only provide this information if you initiated the phone call.
On 11/23, Officer Ryan Hooper and Officer Christopher Troche stopped a suspicious vehicle that was parked on Chapel Street near the intersection of Central Avenue. The officers approached the vehicle and saw the grip of a handgun in the driver’s pants. The driver tried to grab the gun, but Officer Troche quickly grabbed the driver’s hand and removed the gun. The gun was a black Taurus 709 slim firearm and had six live rounds in the magazine. The driver was arrested for carrying a pistol without a permit and other related gun charges.