Man Arrested In Connection With Recent Car Break-Ins: Orange PD

ORANGE, CT — Orange Police announced another arrest in connection to recent car burglaries/thefts in town. Police say at 1:56 a.m. Tuesday, officers performing routine patrol saw a vehicle parked while running off the side of the road. Aware of recent car burglaries, officers effected a motor vehicle stop, police said. The vehicle was occupied by five people, including the arrestee, Juan Lozada, 24, of Waterbury, who was the driver, police said.

Officers searched the vehicle in relation to the car stop and found a moderate quantity of marijuana, packaging and weighing equipment, a loaded handgun, a number of car keys/fobs, a set of license plates, and $528 in cash, police said.

The license plates were determined to have come from a car recently stolen from Watertown. One of the key fobs belonged to a car that had been entered the previous night on Riverside Drive, police said.

The juvenile was a passenger in the car and was found to have a small amount of marijuana in his possession. When questioned by officers, he initially gave a false name. He is not being named due to his age. None of the other passengers in the vehicle were arrested.

Lozada is charged with Operating a Drug Factory, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, Larceny 6th degree, Operating a Motor Vehicle without Insurance, Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Illegal Possession of a License Plate. He was held in lieu of a $10,000 bond.

"Please remember that in almost ALL recent cases of car break-ins or thefts, the perpetrator(s) skip the cars that are locked.Don't become a victim- lock your vehicle, and keep valuables out of sight," Orange Police said.