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The first of the thefts happened on Tuesday, Aug. 8 just after 4 p.m., when Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies saw several suspects entering and leaving an unnamed store in Southeast and delivering items to a vehicle in the parking lot.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the suspects were dressed in bubble jackets which were out of place in the warm weather, and appeared to be hiding items under them.
Sheriff's deputies then quickly took these individuals and the suspects inside the vehicle into custody without incident, later determining that they had allegedly stolen around $3,000 worth of tools from the store.
The suspects arrested in the incident, all from Bridgeport, Connecticut, were:
- Torrance Pettway, age 45, who was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, in addition to other misdemeanors;
- James Brown, age 43, who was also charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, in addition to other misdemeanors;
- Michael Young, age 44, who was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and fifth-degree conspiracy;
- Sheila Marie Ayala, age 37, who was also charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and fifth-degree conspiracy;
- Johannson Randolph, age 55, who was also charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and fifth-degree conspiracy.
Both Ayala and Young were processed and released pending a future appearance in the Southeast Court, while Pettway, Brown, and Randolph were held for arraignment due to their past criminal histories.
Days later, on Sunday, Aug. 13 around 2:30 p.m., deputies responded to the same store for another larceny in addition to an assault of a store employee and also learned of a vehicle that had fled the scene.
While sheriff's deputies interviewed the store managers about the incident, a New York state trooper stopped a vehicle on I-84 East near Starr Ridge Road that matched the description of the suspects' car.
Authorities then determined that the people inside the vehicle were the same ones who had been involved in the larceny and assault after finding $3,600 worth of stolen tools inside, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The following suspects were then arrested:
- New Haven County resident Antwaun Roach-Baptiste, age 34, of West Haven, who was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, third-degree assault, and other misdemeanors;
- Tyler Paolini, age 29, of Trumbull, who was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property in addition to other misdemeanors;
- Mark Warcholic, age 35, of Stratford, who was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and fifth-degree conspiracy.
All three suspects were arraigned in the Town of Southeast Court. Roach-Baptiste was then remanded to Putnam County Correctional Facility without bail to await a bail hearing, while Paolini and Warcholic received an ankle monitor and reported to probation.
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