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Police in Westport received a report shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11 from a Richmondville Avenue resident who said he heard a vehicle speeding away from his home and that several other unlocked vehicles in his driveway had been entered.
Shortly after the initial sighting of the two vehicles, a Cadillac Escalade and a Honda CRV-V, by officers, both returned to Westport heading south on Weston Road, police said, while an officer positioned himself on Weston Road near the entrance ramps to the Merritt Parkway believing that the vehicles would travel back in that direction.
According to police, the officer used a stop-stick tire deflation device that struck both vehicles, which entered the Merritt Parkway with the officer trailing. Further investigation determined that both vehicles had been reported stolen after being unlocked with the keys inside the vehicle.
The Cadillac was reported stolen out of Trumbull, and the Honda out of Shelton.
Police said the Escalade continued northbound on the parkway, while the CR-V exited into Fairfield with a Westport police officer following. Shortly after exiting into Fairfield, the vehicle’s tires had fully deflated causing it to come to a stop.
The driver, New Haven residents Tyjon Preston, 18, and three minors were taken into custody.
Connecticut State Police recovered the Escalade on I-95 unoccupied. Inside the CR-V recovered by Westport officers was a key to a GMC Acadia, which was located on Weston Road in Weston, police said. It was later confirmed to have been stolen out of Easton after its owner left the key inside the unlocked vehicle.
Preston was charged with first-degree larceny and released on a $600 bond. The three minors in the vehicle at the time of Preston’s arrest were released to their parents and have not yet been charged, though the investigation is ongoing. Preston is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
“Although officers were successful in apprehending these individuals, this is not usually the case, as motor vehicle burglaries and stolen vehicles have become an all too common occurrence within our community in recent weeks,” police officials said in a statement.
“Though detailed in a prior press release by this agency, expect an additional follow-up message in the coming days that will continue to highlight the gravity of this situation and the urgent need for proactivity by our residents in taking preventative measures to avert further victimization.”
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