Man Accused of Stealing Credit Cards, Cash While Visiting Grieving Family in Vernon

VERNON, CT — A man is accused of sneaking into a back room of a Vernon home and stealing cash and credit cards from a family who had recently lost a loved one after dropping off his friend to comfort everyone, police said.

Miguel Estrada, 44, of Loveland Hill Road, was arrested at 9 p.m. on Thursday, police said.

The incident began at 7:51 p.m. with Estrada bringing a friend to the home of a grieving family on Hartyl Drive, police said. The family had just lost a loved one and Estrada's friend needed a ride to the home to provide comfort to the family members, police said.

Estrada stayed at the home and one point during the visit, family members allegedly saw Estrada emerging from a bedroom with a container full of change, police said.

Family members threw Estrada out of the house, police said.

A short time later, someone in the home noticed a purse stuffed into a nook inside a bathroom, according to an arrest warrant. Credit cards and cash were missing from the purse, police said.

According to a warrant, Estrada's friend told the family that Estrada was going back to the area near his residence on Loveland Hill Road. Police were called and family members were waiting for officers at nearby Rockville High School.

Estrada then drove by with another acquaintance and family members stopped the car in the middle of the road, according to a warrant. Police then arrived and broke up the confrontation, according to a warrant.

Estrada was uncooperative, had to be restrained and he was eventually placed in a police cruiser, a warrant indicates. While searching him, police found Subsolv pills and other pills believed to be Ecstasy, according to a warrant. Officers also found the alleged stolen credit cards and cash, according to a warrant.

Meanwhile, his friend, Cameron Melton, 29, who police believe lives in Vernon but has no certain address, showed up on a police computer with an extraditable warrant as a fugitive out of New Hampshire for violating probation, according to a warrant. He was booked on a $100,000 bond, police said.

Estrada was charged with sixth-degree larceny, interfering, possession of narcotics and possession of a hallucinogen, police said. That cost him A $10,000 bond, police said.

He was uncooperative during the booking process and police slapped him with another resisting charge and another $10,000 bond, according to a warrant.

Estrada was held overnight and was to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Friday, police said.

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