North Haven 13-Year-Old Helps Foil Attempted Home Break-Ins on Hartford Turnpike

An alert 13-year-old boy hid in the attic and called police as two men attempted to break into his Hartford Turnpike home on Thursday afternoon, according to a police press release.

Police said the incident took place at about 1:20 p.m. and the two suspects then fled from the home and attempted to break in to a second residence on Hartford Turnpike.

The pair walked to the rear of an unoccupied home, according to police, and cut a first-floor window screen. They attempted to lift the glass window, but found it locked.

Police said the two then walked up exterior stairs leading to a wooden deck and pried open a screen door but couldn’t force their way into the home.

As investigators canvassed the neighborhood, the pair was spotted attempting to break-into a third home by forcing open a rear window. The two were finally detained, and the original witness was able to identify the pair, according to police.

Police said that K-9 Zeus assisted in the investigation. Zeus, who is a 4-year-old German shepherd, followed the path of the two suspects from home to home.

Police arrested Andrew Vermiglio, 23, and Devin Cruz, 18, and charged both with second-degree criminal attempt to commit burglary, two counts of third-degree criminal attempt to commit burglary, and risk of injury to a minor.

Both Vermiglio and Cruz were held on a $25,000 bond, and arraigned in Meriden Superior Court.

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