Darien Police Issue Advisory On Recent Surge In Burglaries

DARIEN, CT — With the number of such incidents continuing to rise, the Darien Police Department has issued a new advisory to residents to lock their homes and vehicles to avoid being victims.

This week, the department arrested a 17-year-old juvenile from Norwalk in connection with two recent burglaries in town, and in the warning below, authorities describe two other recent burglary/larcenies where homeowners were awaken by the intruders.

Darien is not the only Fairfield County community to experience an increase in vehicle and home break-ins, as both the Greenwich and New Canaan police departments have issued similar warnings in recent months.

"Many of these crimes are perpetrated by juvenile offenders who, when caught, inform police officers that it is common knowledge that towns like Darien are target-rich environments," wrote Darien Police Det. James Palmieri.

Below is the full text of the Darien Police Department advisory:

The town of Darien continues to experience an increase in overnight-hour burglaries into unlocked motor vehicles. This trend is not isolated to Darien as the majority of towns and cities in Fairfield County, and the State of Connecticut, continue to experience these incidents at increasing rates. Many of these crimes are perpetrated by juvenile offenders who, when caught, inform police officers that it is common knowledge that towns like Darien are target-rich environments.

A more recent trend in Fairfield County is the occurrence of residential burglaries (the entry into, and intent to commit crime in, a residence) committed in conjunction with the ongoing motor vehicle burglaries. Last night (overnight hours of January 9th , 2019 to January 10th , 2019) two such incidents occurred in the Town of Darien.

In one incident, a resident was awoken to the sound of their car being stolen. The resident informed officers that the vehicle had been left unlocked with the keys inside. In addition, the suspect struck the second vehicle parked in the driveway in the commission of the theft.

In another incident, a resident was awoken to a sound they believed to be a family member arriving home. As the resident exited their bedroom, they observed an intruder in their home. Upon seeing the homeowner, the intruder immediately exited the home. It would later be determined that the intruder had ransacked parts of the residence and taken several items.

Additionally, both vehicles in the driveway had been entered. The homeowner informed officers that both the door to her residence where the intruder gained access, and her vehicles, had been left unlocked.

Several Motor Vehicle burglaries were discovered and reported this morning, January 10 th , 2019.

Image via Shutterstock

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