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The Easton Police Department will hold an awards banquet at the Easton Library's community room at 6 tonight to honor the residents and detectives who helped in the arrests of two suspects on burglary charges in September.
"I really credit the victims here," Chief John Solomon said. "I always say the community policing part of it [is] a partnership with the police and the community. They are the eyes and ears of the police. This is a perfect example of the community, the victims, getting good, proper information that helps us solve the case."
Easton police arrested Southbury native Mallory Reed, 27, on Sept. 7 after a homeowner allegedly found her inside her residence on Knapp Street.
"[The victim] came home and [Reed] was coming out of the door," Solomon said, recounting the victim's statement. "They confronted each other at the door, and [Reed] starts crying, she says, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought this was my friend's house,' and she gives a name and keeps walking out the door. But the victim thought it was kind of peculiar, [that Reed] didn't overreact, didn't run or anything, just walked to the car. So [the victim] was smart enough to walk out there and look at the plate."
A week later, Bridgeport resident Jill Katz was arrested on burglary charges. Solomon said no connection has been established between Katz and Reed. The suspects are charged in thefts in Fairfield, Wilton, Easton and other towns.
"From solving these cases, we've uncovered a lot of jewelry," Solomon said. "We've had many burglaries solved in cities and towns across Connecticut, and in New York, by identifying jewelry that these people had in their custody."
Solomon noted that one New York victim lost $50,000 in jewelry, and he estimated the value of the stolen jewelry in the possession of both suspects to be "several hundred thousand dollars or more."
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