Suspects In Stolen vehicle Chased By Cops From Bridgeport To Milford

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A Hamden man was apprehended by Bridgeport police and other authorities Wednesday evening, after he and two other suspects led police on a chase from Bridgeport to Milford in a stolen vehicle that may also be linked to a homicide.

Kaleem Uthmaan was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny; second-degree criminal trover; and interfering with police. The two other suspects remain at-large.

The incident began just before 6 p.m., when Bridgeport police officers spotted the vehicle, and alerted the Fairfield County Regional Auto Theft Task Force, whose members began following it. Bridgeport police officers are among the members of the task force.

Without using police lights or sirens, the task force followed the vehicle onto Interstate 95 northbound.

"The vehicle in the Milford area turned off all exterior lights in an attempt to elude any following vehicles and began to accelerate in speed and recklessly changed lanes," Bridgeport police officials said in a statement. "The vehicle exited the highway at Exit 37 where it was involved in a [motor vehicle accident]."

The crash occurred in the High Street area, and at that point, two of the three occupants in the vehicle fled on foot; Uthmaan was caught in the vehicle.

Police said the two fleeing suspects ran into a wooded area and were unable to be tracked by a police K9.

The vehicle was reported stolen out of Waterbury, and Bridgeport police said it is being processed by New Haven police. Additional details about the vehicle, and the homicide in which it may have been involved, were not disclosed.

Uthmaan was held in lieu of bail of $150,000, and was scheduled to be arraigned in court on Thursday.

Bridgeport police are urging anyone with additional information on this incident to contact the department at 203-576-TIPS (8477).