No Joke: K-9 Joker Sniffs Out Branford Burglary Suspect: Police

BRANFORD, CT — The star of this arrest is Branford Police Department's K-9 Joker who police say helped sniff out a burglary suspect.

Police said a woman came home around 12:30 p.m. to her Windmill Hill house Thursday when she found a burglar in her house.

The suspect fled and ran toward Route 1, said Police Capt. Geoffrey Morgan. That's when Joker took over.

K-9, Joker and his handler, Officer Luigi Amasino responded and K-9 Joker led police to a nearby motel where officers began to check the motel registry for room occupants, police said.

Sgt. Gregory Watrous, who supervised the investigation, said that detectives and officers began to interview Michael Bianchi, 30, of East Main Street, Branford, whom officers were familiar with, as a possible suspect.

In the meantime, K-9 Joker and Amasino retraced the track as part of the process to confirm that Bianchi was in fact the person that led Joker from the home to the nearby motel, police said.

Watrous said, “Based on the ‘positively hit’ by Joker and the interview with our Officers, Bianchi was arrested and taken into custody."

Bianchi was charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree criminal mischief. He is being held on a $5,000 bond and will be arraigned in New Haven Court tomorrow morning.

Images via the Branford Police Department