Car Theft Spree Probed In Simsbury: Police

SIMSBURY, CT — Local police Thursday said they're investigating a car theft spree in which three vehicles were stolen earlier in the morning, with the son of one of the victims following the suspects and reporting a gun being brandished.

According to the Simsbury Police Department, at about 1:48 a.m., the department received a call that a resident was following someone "who had just stolen his mother's car from a parking lot located on Jodi Lane in Simsbury."

Police said the tipster said there were two other vehicles with the suspect vehicle that were also believed to have been stolen.

The SPD said, two minutes later, officers saw the vehicles, including the complainant, travel north on Hopmeadow Street and turn east on Drake Hill Road.

Police said a dispatcher instructed the complainant to cease following the cars, but the suspects and complainant continued at "reported high rates of speed through Riverside Road and East Weatogue Street to Route 185."

Eventully, police said the group of cars left Simsbury and entered Bloomfield and "at some point during the incident, the complainant reported that one of the suspects had brandished a rifle."

While in Bloomfield, the complainant reported that at 1:54 a.m., one of the vehicles crashed near the Tumble Brook Country Club and two occupents fled, police said.

Simsbury police came to the assistance of Bloomfield police to find the suspects, but none were located, the SPD said.

Simsbury police said they never did engage in pursuit with the suspect vehicles and they are continuing to investigate the incident.

The SPD offered several tips to avoid being a victim of car theft and what to do if you become one:

• Don't keep valuables in your vehicles.

• Keep vehicles locked.

• Don't keep keys or key-fabs in vehicles.

• Don't chase after any suspects as "it is becoming more frequent where suspects are armed."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Simsbury Police Department at 860-658-3100.