Trio Arrested In Greenwich Gas Station Burglary: Police

GREENWICH, CT — Two adults and a 17-year-old juvenile were arrested early Saturday morning in Greenwich after they allegedly broke into a Mobil gas station in the 500 block of East Putnam Avenue and led police on a chase into Milbank, according to authorities.

In addition to the burglary at the Greenwich gas station, one or more of the three may also face additional charges because they traveled to the town in a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Stratford.

The case began just after 4 a.m. when two vehicles were spotted by Greenwich police officers pulling out of the closed gas station.

Greenwich Police Lt. John Slusarz said the vehicles soon stopped on Salem Street, and the occupants jumped out of them and fled on foot into the Milbrook section.

A subsequent search of the area quickly turned up the Bridgeport juvenile and fellow Bridgeport resident Kenny Tapia, 23, of Stevens Road. At about 7 a.m. the third suspect - later identified as Luis Lopez, 24, of Third Street in Ansonia - was spotted talking on his cell phone on East Putnam Avenue. He was trying to flag down what police described as a "suspicious vehicle."

Officers pulled over that vehicle on Old Church Road, and caught up with Lopez on East Putnam between Hillside Road and Brookridge Drive before he could get in the vehicle.

Slusarz said that police allegedly obtained a confession from at least one of the suspects that they were responsible for the gas station burglary. What the suspects allegedly stole from the scene was not disclosed. But in addition to burglary and interfering with an officer charges, the suspects also were charged with larceny.

Slusarz gave a warning to future would-be thieves to think twice before hitting Greenwich.

"We're up and paying attention at 4 a.m. and all overnight hours," Slusarz told Patch.

Lopez was held in lieu of bail of $100,000, and Tapia was held in lieu of bail of $50,000. Both are scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Dec. 10. The juvenile was released to the custody of his mother and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Juvenile Court on Dec. 10.

Photo: Kenny Tapia, left, and Luis Lopez. Photo credit: Greenwich Police Department

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