Teen, 16, Arrested After Trying To Sell Stolen Motorcycle At Walmart: Wallingford PD

WALLINGFORD, CT — A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested Friday after trying to sell a stolen motorcycle at Walmart in Wallingford, according to police.

Members of the Wallingford Police Department Patrol Division and the Crime Suppression Unit “successfully recovered a stolen motorcycle and apprehended a suspect following a coordinated investigation” on North Colony Road, according to Police Chief John Ventura.

Ventura said officers were dispatched around 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 6 to Walmart, at 844 North Colony Road, after receiving reports of a stolen motorcycle being offered for sale at that location.

“The motorcycle's rightful owner, who had previously reported the vehicle stolen from West Springfield, Massachusetts, was on-site and alerted the authorities,” Ventura wrote in a news release. “Upon arrival, officers observed a pickup truck and the suspected stolen motorcycle in the parking lot. As the first patrol unit entered the area, the operator of the motorcycle immediately fled the scene at a high rate of speed. While one officer successfully stopped the pickup truck, another attempted to intercept the fleeing motorcycle, but the operator refused to stop and continued to evade police.”

Through immediate investigative efforts at the scene, Ventura said officers obtained information regarding the operator's destination.

Ventura said additional units were dispatched to that location, where they successfully located and detained a 16-year-old juvenile suspect.

A verification of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) confirmed that the motorcycle was the vehicle stolen from West Springfield, according to Ventura.

The 16-year-old was arrested and charged with larceny of a motor vehicle.

The teen, whose name wasn’t released due to their age, was processed at Wallingford Police Headquarters and released to the custody of a parent. They are scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court at a later date, according to Ventura.

“The Wallingford Police Department remains committed to aggressive enforcement against motor vehicle theft and thanks the public for their assistance in this matter,” Ventura wrote.