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A Lexus was stolen from a Compo Road South driveway during the early morning hours of Dec. 30, 2016, after the owner left the key inside the vehicle. On Feb. 26 the following year, the car was recovered in Waterbury, with a handgun and cell phone inside that did not belong to the owner.
According to police, forensic evidence later linked Waterbury resident Earnest Owens to an empty iced tea can that was inside the vehicle.
Further testing linked Owens to the driver’s seat area of the stolen car. Text messages found in the recovered cell phone referred to the owner as “JR.” According to Owen’s driver’s license, his legal name was "Earnest E. Owens, Jr." An arrest warrant application was submitted for Owens and later approved.
On Oct. 17 last year, the victim again reported that two vehicles, including an Audi Q5 had again been stolen with keys left inside the unlocked vehicles. The Audi was recovered in Waterbury on Nov. 1, complete with crowbars, gloves and a number of other items that didn’t belong to the vehicle’s owner.
Owens was again linked to the stolen vehicle and an arrest warrant was issued.
On Oct. 18, officers responded to the Waterbury Court, where Owens was detained on the outstanding warrant. He was transported to the Westport Police Headquarters where he was charged with two counts of larceny. Owens was unable to post $100,000 bond and is being held until a later court date.
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