Car Burglar Crashed Into Police Cruiser, 2 Charged: Meriden Police

MERIDEN, CT — Two Hartford residents have been arrested in connection with the break-ins of several vehicles in Meriden, along with the ramming of a Meriden police cruiser in an attempted getaway, according to police.

Police responded to the area of Mattabasset Drive on Thursday on the report of two suspicious vehicles, according to police. Each vehicle was reported to have multiple occupants who were breaking into vehicles in the area, according to police.

As officers began arriving in the area, police said one of the suspect vehicles was able to speed away and officers didn’t engage in a chase.

The second suspect vehicle was found and officers tried to stop it, however, police said the driver drove around a police cruiser at a high rate of speed.

“In doing so, the driver ended up slamming into a large rock and the vehicle became lodged on the rock,” police wrote in a news release. “The driver continued to try and free the car from the rock and eventually he was able to do so at which time he rammed another Meriden Police cruiser head-on. The male driver and a second male then exited the car and fled on foot.”

The driver, identified as 33-year-old Delquan Talley, was apprehended “almost immediately without incident,” according to police.

The passenger, identified as 36-year-old Ricardo Torres, was found hiding in an open garage in the neighborhood, police said.

Police said an investigation found that at least three parked cars were entered, and one vehicle had the lug nuts of all four tires removed. The men appeared to be trying to steal the tires, according to police.

Lug nuts from the vehicle were found inside the suspect’s vehicle, which police said was unregistered and uninsured. Talley was found to have a suspended driver’s license, along with an active warrant out of Hartford, while Torres was found to have an active warrant out of Norwich, according to police. Torres was also found to be in possession of 1.1 grams of crack cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia, police said.

Talley was charged with assault on a public safety officer, first-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, fourth-degree larceny, possession of burglary tools, interfering with an officer, second-degree criminal trespass, misuse of marker plates, operating under suspension, operating with no insurance, and operating an unregistered vehicle.

Torres was charged with fourth-degree larceny, interfering with an officer, second-degree criminal trespass, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both men were held in lieu of $500,000 bonds with a court date of Oct. 26.

Police said Torres was treated for minor injuries and no police officers were injured.

“Two Meriden Police cruisers were heavily damaged in this incident,” police wrote in a news release. “The cruiser which was rammed by Talley sustained heavy damage and another cruiser sustained damage when another officer pulled up behind the suspect’s vehicle in order to prevent it from being moved after it struck the cruiser.”