The incidents leading to the arrests began in Windham County just before 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, when a business on Providence Turnpike in Brooklyn reported an active larceny, according to Connecticut State Police.
The person who called in the incident reported seeing the suspects in a white van with a temporary New Jersey registration taking cooking oil from several businesses and restaurants. The complainant then followed the van to a parking lot and alerted authorities, police said.
Troopers responded and located the van, which was occupied by 32-year-old Michael Mejia and 37-year-old Adriano Munoz-Reyes, both from the Bronx, New York. Police said the men had stolen approximately 135 gallons of cooking oil from three businesses.
All business owners confirmed that the suspects were not authorized to take the oil or be on their properties, state police said.
Mejia and Munoz-Reyes were each charged with:
- Sixth-degree larceny;
- Third-degree criminal trespass;
- Possession of burglar tools.
Both men were held on a $5,000 cash or surety bond and transported to Danielson Superior Court for same-day arraignment, police said.
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