Guns, Stolen Car Recovered In Manchester, Teen Facing Charges

MANCHESTER, CT — Two guns and a stolen car were seized from a 17-year-old after a police operation in Manchester Thursday.

On Thursday, a Manchester Police Department detective, who is also a member of the Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force, located a 2023 Nissan Rogue reported stolen from Avon, according to an incident report. The stolen vehicle was discovered parked unoccupied on Fairfield Street in Manchester, police said.

The detective and another Manchester police officer then saw a "male juvenile" carrying
a backpack exiting a nearby residence and entering the stolen Nissan, according to an incident report. The vehicle left the area initially, but returned with a second occupant, a report indicates.

A stakeout followed involving Manchester police, Hartford police, other members of the Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force and a special agent from the FBI, according to a report. The team noticed a second vehicle arrive and park behind the stolen Nissan, police said.

The juvenile observed earlier exited the Nissan wearing the backpack and proceeded toward the residence on Fairfield Street and officers swiftly moved in to apprehend him, leading to
a brief foot pursuit, according to a report. The boy dropped the backpack and a jacket in an attempt to evade officers and was successfully apprehended, according to a report.

The unidentified passenger of the Nissan managed to flee after entering the second vehicle, police said.

The backpack and jacket contained a key fob for the stolen Nissan and two guns — a fully loaded 9mm "ghost gun" and a stolen Tisas Zigana PX-9 9mm, identified as stolen from South Windsor in 2021.

The boy, determined to be 17, was charged with:

• Theft of a motor vehicle
• Possessing a weapon in a motor vehicle (2 counts)
• Theft of a firearm
• Carrying a pistol without a permit (2 counts)
• Possession of a high-capacity magazine
• Possession of an unfinished firearm frame
• Interfering with police
• Carrying a dangerous weapon

The boy was already on probation due to prior firearms charges originating from Hartford, police said.

He was being held at the Hartford juvenile detention facility Thursday night pending an appearance in juvenile court, police said.