Vernon Police: Homeless Man Leaves Court, Steals Beer and Uses a Motorized Store Cart as a Getaway Car

VERNON, CT - A local homeless man who is a frequent guest in the police lockup was arrested for stealing beer and using a grocery store motorized car as a getaway car just hours after he broke into a truck during the Vernon fireworks show, police said.

Police said just hours after he left Rockville Superior Court for the truck incident, Robert Ignatowicz went to the Rockville Stop & Shop, stole two 30-packs of Budweiser and then took one of the motorized carts available to customers with mobility issues.

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Ignatowicz, 62, is homeless and has been arrested many times over the past several years, according to police records.

Officers were tied up on other calls, so Ignatowicz was able to get to the intersection of Route 83 and Windermere Avenue, nearly 2 miles away, police said.

Police said they eventually caught up to him, pulled the cart over and arrested him.
Ignatowicz was charged with fifth-degree larceny for stealing the cart and sixth-degree larceny for taking the beer, police said.

On Thursday, during the rockets’ red glare of the annual July in the Sky fireworks show, Ignatowicz was found passed out in a box truck after he broke into it, police said.

Photo Credit; Vernon police