Teen Duo Charged In String Of Manchester Auto Thefts, Stolen Card Use

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester police Tuesday said they have arrested a pair of teens in connection with a string of vehicle thefts and the use of credit cards that were in the cars.

Police said that, during July and August, several stolen vehicles were recovered in Manchester after being taken not only locally, but throughout the state. The vehicles were located or observed in the same general area along Center Street, police said.

Investigative efforts included the use of data from credit cards taken from the from the vehicles, police said.

The two suspects who had been using the stolen credit cards were identified as 18-year-old Xzhavier Archibald of Hartford and 18-year-old Janya Artis of Manchester, according to a news release. Surveillance details were set up in the area where the stolen vehicles were frequenting in town and police are able to make contact with both, according to a news release.

Archibald and Artis were eventually linked to five stolen vehicles from Manchester, police said. Arrest warrants were then secured. police said.

Artis was charged with:

• Motor vehicle theft (3 counts)
• Conspiracy to commit motor vehicle theft (3 counts)
• First-degree criminal trover (2 counts)
• Sixth-degree larceny 6th
• Tampering with a motor vehicle (2 counts)
• Illegal use of a payment card

Archibald was charged with:

• Motor vehicle theft (2 counts)
• Conspiracy to commit motor vehicle theft (3 counts)
• First-degree criminal trover (2 counts)
• Conspiracy to commit criminal trover in the first degree
• Conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny
• Tampering with a motor vehicle (2 counts)
• Conspiracy to commit tampering with a motor cehicle
• Illegal use of a payment card