Man Found With Stolen Car, Drugs At Stop & Shop: Southington Police

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Waterbury man was arrested after police said he was found with a gun and drugs in a stolen vehicle in the Stop & Shop parking lot Monday night in Southington.

Police received an alert around 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 5 of a stolen vehicle entering Southington. The vehicle, a black 2023 Kia Forte, had been reported stolen out of Waterbury, according to Capt. James Armack.

Patrol officers spotted the vehicle as it was pulling into Stop & Shop at 505 North Main Street.

Armack said the driver, Lee Hulett, was taken into custody without incident and officers saw a gun and illegal narcotics in “plain view” in the vehicle.

“Southington Police K-9 Kay was called to the scene of the stop and alerted to the odor of narcotics within the vehicle,” Armack wrote in a news release. “A search of the vehicle revealed 29 wax folds containing suspected Fentanyl, a small amount of powdered cocaine, narcotics packaging material, nine electronic scales, narcotics paraphernalia and two large fixed blade knives. Hulett was also found to be in possession of approximately 11 grams of crack cocaine and $105 cash.”

Armack said further investigation found that the gun had been reported stolen out of Redding during a motor vehicle burglary.

Hulett, 52, was arrested and charged with three counts of possession of a weapon in a vehicle and one count each of possession with intent to sell narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, theft of a firearm, second-degree larceny, larceny of a motor vehicle, and illegal transfer / purchase of a revolver.

He was held in lieu of a $500,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.