2 Convicted Felons Found Inside Stolen Car At Mall: Trumbull Police

TRUMBULL, CT — Two New Haven residents have been charged and are accused of being inside a stolen vehicle at the Trumbull Mall on Monday afternoon, police said.

Police said they found the stolen Nissan Altima in the mall parking lot, where the vehicle was recovered, and the occupants were apprehended. Elliot Echevarria, 38, and Jose Manuel Santini, 43, both of New Haven, were arrested and charged, police said.

At noon, an officer saw the Nissan being driven through the mall parking lot as Echevarria was driving and Santini was the front seat passenger, police said. Officers confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen on January 20, so officers stopped the vehicle near the Cheesecake Factory, police said. Both men were taken into police custody without incident, police said.

Santini was "argumentative and was yelling" that the Nissan was his because he had purchased it from a friend four months prior, police said. Santini also stated he had the vehicle’s title at home, but he did not have a bill of sale for the vehicle, police said. Police said they also learned that Echevarria’s Connecticut driving privilege had been suspended as of August 2022.

Echevarria, a "convicted felon with an extensive criminal history to include Burglary,
Larceny, Assault, Drug charges, and Interfering with Police" was charged with third-degree larceny, police said. He was released on a $10,000 bond.

Santini, also a "convicted Felon with an extensive criminal history to include Robbery,
Threatening, Larceny, Drug charges, and Interfering with Police" was charged with
third-degree larceny, police said. He also was released on a $10,000 bond.