West Haven Police Make Several Arrests In 'Stolen Vehicle Epidemic'

WEST HAVEN, CT — West Haven police made several arrests in connection with stolen vehicle cases over the weekend.

In the first case, police were notified of a possible stolen car parked at Best Gas at 161 Boston Post Road on Friday at 10:13 p.m.

Police found the stolen Kia Forte in the parking. The man driving the car was taken into custody.

The Kia had been reported stolen to Hamden police several days earlier.

On Saturday morning, Greenwich police notified West Haven police that they were tracking a stolen Ford Explorer on GPS. Officers coordinated with each other and police found the car driving east on Route 34 (Derby Avenue), which was flooded with heavy traffic from the Yale vs. Harvard football game.

The officers surrounded the Explorer and took two adults and one juvenile into custody.

Also on Saturday, police were dispatched to Glade Street at 1:30 p.m. on reports of four or five juveniles pulling on car door handles. More reports began to come in stating that vehicle windows were smashed and the group was attempting to steal a Kia.

Officers flooded the area and found the four individuals responsible. The four juvenile males were all taken into custody where they were processed on numerous charges and released to the custody of their parents.

On Sunday, a police officer was traveling on First Avenue when he spotted a Honda CRV with stolen license plates. The officer conducted a motor vehicle stop, checked the car's vehicle identification number, and found it was reported stolen out of New Haven. Police also found numerous license plates reported stolen inside the car.

The man driving the Honda was taken into custody.

Police said they are "committed to combatting the overwhelming stolen vehicle epidemic the best we can."

If you notice any suspicious motor vehicles, call the police department at 203-937-3900.