Detainees Trash Vernon PD Cells After Christmas Eve Theft Incident

VERNON, CT — Two people spent the Christmas weekend in their trashed cells in the Vernon Police Department lockup — and were still there Tuesday morning — after a wild Christmas Eve incident a local discount store that involved a law enforcement canine tracking one of them down.

The scene unfolded at 8:56 p.m. Saturday night when officers were dispatched to the Family Dollar store for a shoplifting incident. The store is located at 42 Windsor Ave. in a small strip plaza.

Two suspects had fled the scene, according to an arrest report. One of them, identified as 22-year-old Rachel Kobs, of Vernon, was tracked down by police dog Franco just over the Ellington line, about a mile away, and charged with interfering with police and sixth-degree larceny, according to a case records. She also had an outstanding warrant for a fifth-degree larceny charge in October for which a re-arrest order was issued on Dec. 19 by Manchester Superior Court, records show.

Case records show that a Vernon officer apprehended 26-year-old Tyler Tirone-Gamble for the Christmas Eve caper. His listed address is near the spot where Kobs was tracked down. Tirone-Gamble was charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree-breach of peace, interfering with police, the use of drug paraphernalia and first-offense possession of a controlled substance, according to case records.

According to a police report, while spending the weekend in holding cells, the two trashed their accommodations with acts that included urination, defecation and throwing up. Police said the cells had to be cleaned at least twice each.

Both were to appear in Rockville Superior Court Tuesday.