Suspect Charged In Elaborate Burglary at Vernon Aquarium Store

VERNON, CT — A New Haven man with a history of arrests for burglaries at tropical home aquarium businesses has been charged in Vernon in relation to a break-in at Wet Pets on Hartford Turnpike, police said.

Rafael Serrano, 34, was served a warrant at a New Haven Courthouse Monday, where he had appeared for another case. He was arraigned on a $200,000 bond in Rockville Superior Court Tuesday. The bond was reduced to $50,000 but Serrano remained in custody after failing to post it and is scheduled to return to court Thursday, judicial system records show.

He is facing several charges related to the Vernon break-in:

• Third-degree burglary
• Conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary
• Possession of burglar tools
• Conspiracy to possess burglar tools
• Second-degree criminal trespass
• Conspiracy to commit second-degree criminal trespass
• First-degree criminal mischief
• Conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief
• First-degree larceny
• Conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny

Vernon police released the warrant Wednesday and it shows the case dating back to the morning of Nov. 29, when the owners of West Pets at 520 Hartford Turnpike notified authorities about a break-in.

A front door had ben pried open and the entrance to the electrical systems in the rear of the plaza had also been forced open, according to the warrant. Power had been disabled, according to the warrant.

Cash totaling $400 was taken from the store's register and $35,000 worth of equipment was missing, according to the warrant. Damage to the store was estimated at about $2,000, including that caused by 30 gallons of water that leaked into the floor.

The warrant also pointed out that the lone security camera in that section of the plaza was out of memory, but investigators were able to trace GPS activity in the area that led them to a phone registered to Serrano.

The warrant shows that Serrano was implicated in the theft of a $3,000 piece of coral from an exotic fish store in Milford two years ago and a 2021 theft at a New Haven aquarium store in which about $90,000 worth of equipment was stolen.