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New Haven County resident Michael Petro of Waterbury, age 53, was taken into custody on Thursday, Feb. 27, after investigators linked him to three major thefts in the towns of Southeast and Patterson, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Friday, Feb. 28.
The investigation began on March 2, 2024, when a Southeast businessman reported that his work truck had been broken into overnight, with approximately $15,000 worth of tools stolen.
Nearly a year later, on February 4, 2025, another Southeast business reported a theft of $12,000 worth of tires and rims from a storage container that had been broken into overnight.
Then, on January 14, 2025, a third storage container was broken into in Patterson, with numerous tools reported stolen.
After linking the incidents, investigators identified Petro as a suspect and conducted surveillance on him, the Sheriff's Office said.
On Thursday, Petro was brought in for questioning, during which he confessed to all three crimes, admitting that he had sold most of the stolen items for cash.
Authorities were able to recover some of the stolen tools, which will be returned to their rightful owners.
Petro was arraigned in the Town of Southeast Court and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility pending a future court hearing.
Detectives from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office are also investigating Petro for similar crimes in Dutchess County, authorities said.
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