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The incident happened in Fairfield County on Wednesday, May 1 at around 11:45 p.m., when two people were seen trying to enter vehicles on Hillspoint Road near Compo Beach in Westport, according to Westport Police.
Soon after this was reported, Westport officers and members of the Bridgeport Auto-Theft Task Force arrived in the area and saw two suspect vehicles stolen from other jurisdictions. When officers tried pulling them over, they instead kept driving. However, police did not pursue them, according to authorities.
Members of the Auto-Theft Task Force driving unmarked cars later caught up with one of the stolen vehicles on Interstate 95 and stopped it in Stratford. There, two teens aged 14 and 17 were taken into custody.
The passenger was charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and interfering with an officer. Meanwhile, the driver was charged with:
- Engaging police in a pursuit;
- Criminal attempt to assault public safety officer;
- First-degree larceny of motor vehicle;
- Interfering with an officer.
Both teenage suspects were later released to the custody of their parents and have court dates in Danbury Juvenile Court.
According to Westport Police, the arrests were the latest incident of an increase in stolen vehicle attempts and car break-ins in the town over the last several weeks. All cars that were stolen or broken into had been left unlocked.
Additionally, another incident involved five masked suspects who were seen entering a garage and trying to steal the car inside. The suspects had arrived in a car stolen from another jurisdiction, police said.
The incidents are now being investigated by the department's detective bureau with help from the Bridgeport Regional Auto Theft Task Force. The department will also be increasing patrols to combat the increase in stolen vehicle activity.
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