Gun Found in Sweatshirt Jammed Near Battery After Vernon Crash

VERNON, CT — A firefighter trying to disconnect the battery of a car involved in a Valentine's Day crash uncovered a stolen gun hidden in a sweatshirt, police said.

The one-car crash took place at 3:34 p.m. at the intersection of Talcottville Road (Route 83) and Thrall Road, according to an arrest report. As a safety precaution, a firefighter was about to disconnect the vehicle's battery and noticed a sweatshirt lodged into the compartment.

The firefighter pulled the sweatshirt out of the battery compartment and a gun — later determined to be stolen from several states away — fell out of the sweatshirt, police said.

The driver, later identified as 40-year-old Raul Javier Nieves, of Hartford, tried to grab the gun but was detained by police officers, according to an arrest report. Police said it was a handgun.

Nieves was charged with illegal possession of a weapon on a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm, stealing a firearm and altering the identification of a firearm, according to an arrest report.

Nieves posted a $25,000 surety bond and was assigned a court date of Feb. 27, according to an arrest report.

Photo Credit: VPD