Stolen Car Crashes In West Hartford; 4 In Custody [VIDEO-UPDATED]

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Four juveniles were taken into custody and one remains at large following the crash of a stolen vehicle and subsequent foot pursuit by police early Thursday morning on Park Road.

At 12:49 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of 57 Ledgewood Road to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. The complainant’s dog had been barking, which alerted him to the incident, and several occupants of that vehicle were said to be going house to house checking for unlocked car doors, Capt. Michael Perruccio said.

An officer arrived in the area and approached the vehicle, which sped off traveling north on Overbrook Road at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control at Park Road and crashed at the corner of Park and Thomson roads. Five occupants of the vehicle fled on foot, and four were apprehended by officers, Perruccio said.

Five vehicles were found to have been burglarized on Ledgewood Road; all five had been left unlocked by the owners. The suspects' vehicle, a 2016 Jeep Cherokee stolen from New Britain, had a firearm (serial number destroyed) in it as well. The Jeep sustained significant damage as a result of the collision with a fence and tree at 550 Park Road, according to Perruccio.

A neighbor captured the sound of the crash and ensuing fleeing of the suspects, with police in pursuit, on a doorbell video which he shared with Patch. The first suspect is seen losing a shoe during the chase. That video may be seen here: https://video.nest.com/clip/63...

Four juvenile suspects were taken into custody and charged with five counts of third-degree burglary, second-degree larceny, interfering with an officer, illegal possession of weapons in a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm with an altered identification mark. The driver was also charged with several motor vehicle violations, including reckless driving, Perruccio said.

All but one youth were released to their parents with a juvenile summons. One suspect was released to the juvenile detention facility on Broad Street in Hartford on a Take into Custody Order for an unrelated incident. One suspect was transported to UConn Hospital by ambulance for evaluation in relation to the collision with minor injuries, Perruccio said.

The fifth suspect’s whereabouts are unknown. This is the second arrest in town for similar crimes for one of the juveniles involved, Perruccio said.