Woman Dragged By Car In Attempted Purse-Snatching: Meriden Police

MERIDEN, CT — Three juveniles were arrested after police said they used a stolen vehicle out of Wallingford to commit a string of robberies in several towns on Monday.

A blue Toyota Prius was stolen from Cumberland Farms in Wallingford around 2 p.m. and then used in several robberies over the next several hours in Hamden, New Haven, Wallingford and Meriden, according to Meriden police.

Police received a report around 8:30 p.m. of a robbery-in-progress in the parking lot of Townline Square, 533 S. Broad St. in Meriden. The stolen Prius was developed as the suspect vehicle, according to police.

“During this incident, the operator of the Prius drove dangerously close to a woman several times as she carried items she had purchased to her car,” police wrote in a news release. “The victim believed the vehicle was deliberately trying to strike her. The occupants reached out of the car as it passed and tried unsuccessfully to grab the woman’s purse. While they were unable to take her handbag, they did tear a shopping bag from her hands before speeding off.”

Then, at around 8:40 p.m., the occupants of the Prius committed another purse-snatching in the parking lot of Stop and Shop, 485 Broad St., in Meriden, according to police.

“Once again, the operator drove in a dangerous manner as occupants attempted to steal a purse from a woman walking in the parking lot,” police wrote. “After trying unsuccessfully to grab one purse from a woman who had it covered by her coat, the rear seat passenger grabbed another bag which the victim was wearing across her body. This resulted in her being dragged a short distance by the vehicle and caused her minor injuries.”

Later in the evening, the driver of the Prius led members of Connecticut State Police and several other agencies on a pursuit, police said.

The pursuit ended when the Prius was stopped on the Berlin Turnpike in Meriden just before 11 p.m., according to police. The three juveniles were apprehended and taken to Meriden Police Headquarters without further incident, police said.

Police said the Prius was processed for evidence and returned to Wallingford.

“Several items were located inside the vehicle and on the persons of the occupants, connecting them to both Meriden robberies and incidents in other jurisdictions,” police wrote. “Due to the ages of the suspects, their identities cannot be released.”

All three were taken to Bridgeport Juvenile Detention on numerous charges, including but not limited to, robbery, assault, and reckless endangerment, according to police.