Man, 19, Indicted In Connection With Carjackings In Wallingford: Feds

WALLINGFORD, CT — A New Haven man accused of being involved with two carjackings in Wallingford has been indicted on federal carjacking, firearm and conspiracy offenses, authorities recently announced.

Tihaja Ortiz-Tucker, 19, also known as “TJ,” was indicted by a federal grand jury in Hartford on Sept. 22.

“Through investigation, it was found that in numerous jurisdictions from March through July 2022, Ortiz-Tucker would pose as a potential buyer of used cars advertised by CT residents on Facebook Marketplace,” officials wrote in a news release. “He would meet the sellers for a test drive to purchase said cars. At the test rides conclusion, he and co-conspirators would steal the cars along with other documents such as the bill of sale, title, and other ownership documents at gunpoint. He and his co-conspirators would then pose as legitimate owners of the stolen cars and advertise them for sale on OfferUp.”

In addition to those crimes, police said Ortiz-Tucker was involved in two carjackings of Uber drivers in Wallingford on May 2 and May 4.

“In both instances, an Uber driver picked up the carjacker in New Haven and drove to Wallingford where the cars were taken from the Uber drivers at gunpoint,” officials wrote. “Both cars were later recovered in the same area of Hamden.”

The indictment charges Ortiz-Tucker with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of five years in prison; three counts of taking a motor vehicle from a person by force, violence and intimidation (“carjacking”), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; and one count of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least seven years.

Ortiz-Tucker was arrested July 22, and has been detained since Sept. 2, when his bond was revoked.

“The Wallingford Police Department would like to encourage those who sell and purchase items online, to use visible, well-lit and well-traveled areas to conduct their in-person business,” police wrote in a news release. “The Wallingford Police Department has a designated, marked area in the front parking lot for citizens to use as a monitored, safe meet-up location.”