Teen Accused Of Stealing, Crashing BMW In New Canaan: Police

NEW CANAAN, CT — A man accused of stealing a BMW and later crashing the vehicle in New Canaan was recently arrested, according to police.

In a news release, police said an officer on patrol noticed an unoccupied Plymouth Grand Voyager mini-van parked in Mead Park near the Apple Cart Food Company restaurant on July 10. After running a computer check on the vehicle, the officer discovered it was reported stolen out of Kent earlier in the day.

As officers investigated, a vehicle drove into the park and toward the stolen vehicle but quickly turned around and exited after seeing police vehicles there, police said.

Officers stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver and passenger, the latter of which was identified as Charles Wood Wright, 18, of New Canaan. According to police, no further information was developed at that time to connect Wright to the stolen vehicle.

The next day, police received a report of a single-car crash in which a BMW struck a tree off Heritage Hill Road. The vehicle was found unoccupied and heavily damaged, according to police.

After they were unable to locate a driver, officers went to the Park Street address of the BMW's registered owners. After speaking with the owners, officers determined someone had entered their home through an unlocked door, taken the key to the BMW and stole it, police said.

Officers later found Wright stumbling and walking barefoot on Heritage Hill Road, police said. After speaking with him, officers determined Wright had a key to the mini-van reported stolen out of Kent the previous day in his pocket, police said.

Wright later also admitted to booking officers at police headquarters that he entered the Park Street home, took the key for the BMW, stole the vehicle and later crashed it on Heritage Hill Road, according to police.

Wright was charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree larceny, third-degree larceny, failure to drive upon right and evading responsibility-injury/property damage.