Man Caught Breaking into Vehicles in Restaurant Parking Lot: Wallingford Police

WALLINGFORD — Several witnesses helped Wallingford Police arrest a 26-year-old suspect accused of breaking into unlocked vehicles in the rear parking lot of Gaetano’s Restaurant on Tuesday night.

Several police units responded to the parking lot behind Gaetano’s, located at 40 North Main Street, at about 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 on the report of a man attempting to enter parked vehicles by pulling on their door handles, according to Lt. Richard Homestead.

Homestead said units located William Flores, who is known to police, walking behind Wells Fargo Bank, which is next door to the Gaetano’s lot.

Several witnesses came forward to point out the cars that Flores attempted to enter by pulling on their locked door handles, according to Homestead.

Homestead said one of the witnesses saw Flores open the unlocked door of a Nissan Pathfinder and rummage through the contents. When officers searched Flores, they found several items that were positively identified by the vehicle owner as being from the Pathfinder, according to Homestead.

Flores, whose last known address is on Washington Street in Wallingford, was arrested on charges of third-degree burglary and sixth-degree larceny. He was held on a $10,000 bond and issued a court date of Nov. 22 in Meriden.

“The Wallingford Police Department would like to commend the fine citizens that came forward and reported this egregious act,” Homestead said in a news release. “If not for their astute observations and willingness to ‘get involved’ this crime most likely would have been detected but gone unsolved.

“The Wallingford Police Department would also like to remind citizens how important it is to lock their vehicle doors and not leave valuables in plain sight. This is especially true as the holiday shopping season rapidly approaches.”

Pictured: William Flores, 26, of Wallingford / via the Wallingford Police Department