Alert Motorist Helps Branford Police Catch 2 Men in a Stolen Vehicle: Police

BRANFORD, CT — Two men were arrested 12:30 a.m. Sunday when police received a video motion alarm from the Brandfon Car Dealership at West Main Street and Pent Road and an alert motorist reported a suspicious van in the vicinity at the same time, police said Monday.

Patrol Officer Michael Loftis, who was later assisted by Officer Michael O’Connor, located the van with two occupants in the vicinity of 1 Jefferson Road and conducted a motor vehicle stop, police said in a news release.

Once stopped the officers determined the van had been reported stolen in Bridgeport, police said. The van also contained three tire and rim assemblies along with a number of hand tools and flashlights, police said. Officer Christopher Cope, responded to Brandfon’s lot and was able to located the vehicle that the tire and rims were removed from, police said.

Jose Pinto, 39, of Hallock Street in New Haven and David Roldan, 41, of East Main Street in Branford were both arrested and taken into custody, police said

Pinto was charged with third and fourth degree larceny, second-degree criminal mischief, first-degree criminal trover, possession of burglary tools and misuse of marker plates.

Roldan was charged with conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, fourth-degree larceny, second-degree criminal mischief and possession of burglary tool.

They were both held on $10,000 bonds.

Images via the Branford Police Department

Written by Brian McCready (Patch National Staff)

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)