Man Wanted By Branford Police Arrested In North Haven: Police

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A man who was wanted for a robbery in Branford was arrested Saturday night in North Haven after a woman caught him trying to steal her purse out of her home, according to North Haven Police. The woman called 911 at about 8:20 p.m. on April 20 after she confronted a man who was inside her home on Bailey Road. The man was seen walking out of the home with her purse and then dropped it after he was confronted, according to police.

The man ran toward the nearby school playing fields and the woman’s boyfriend ran after him, police said. Police dispatched a K-9 unit to help with the search and the suspect was found hiding in a wooded area, according to police.

The suspect was identified as Johnny Doward, 54, of Wethersfield, who was charged with first-degree burglary and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on a $100,000 bond.

Doward also had active arrest warrants out of Branford and Hamden for first-degree robbery, each with a $250,000 bond. Hamden Police charged Doward in connection to the armed robbery of the Clarion Hotel last month. There was no immediate information available for the Branford case.