Bloody Bandage Leads Darien PD to Burglary Suspect 4 Years Later

DARIEN, CT — A Bridgeport man was arrested after detectives linked a bloody bandage left at a burglary scene with his DNA, police said.

The investigation began after a reported motor vehicle burglary that occurred Oct. 24, 2012 in a private parking lot area of Thorndal Circle, said Sgt. Jeremiah Marron Jr., police spokesman. The driver's side window of the Honda Pilot was smashed and an airbag was removed from the steering wheel.

"Located on the hood of the vehicle, next to the windshield, was a blood stained gauze bandage," Marron said. "Based on its location and condition, detectives believed the gauze bandage had fallen off the suspect as he climbed out of the victim's vehicle to defeat the alarm system."

Police sent the bandage to the State Forensic Lab for DNA analysis. A DNA "hit" came back in August 2014 to a Jose Cruz, 50.

Cruz has an extensive history of similar arrests, Marron said. He and another suspect were arrested in 2011 after a vehicle was stolen in Darien and driven to New York City.

Cruz was arrested by authorities in southern New Jersey in June 2016 as a fugitive from justice.

"After a lengthy extradition process was approved, on January 10, 2017, Darien officers took custody of Cruz returning him to Connecticut to face the outstanding charges," Marron said.

He was charged with third-degree burglary and held on a $25,000 bond.