Fraud & Evasion Top Redding Police Blotter for Mar. 27 - Apr. 2

REDDING, CT — Fraud, evasion, a lawn mower theft and a very large bird were at the top of the Redding Police Department's blotter last week.

On Apr. 3, Valkyrie Rental on Route 7 reported that someone had stolen a Billy Goat back brush mower, valued at $3700. The investigation remains open.

A resident of Peaceable Street told police that someone stole her identity and opened up an account with Merrill Lynch Bank of America. The account was cancelled without any monetary loss to the complainant after it was reported to the bank on Apr. 3.

The same day, a motorist traveling north shortly after striking a rock ledge on Pinetree Road ultimately came to a stop in a drainage ditch. Police issued the driver a warning for unsafe vehicle driving.

A northbound driver on Route 58 had a somewhat longer engagement after attempting to make a right turn to go eastbound on Church Hill Road. Instead, the motorist drove into the front yard of a home at the intersection, rolled through the yard, over a retaining wall and back out onto Church Hill Road.

The driver continued eastbound on Church Hill Road, where he went off the road on a sharp curve, according to the police report. The driver was located many hours later without any injuries after fleeing the vehicle and running off into the woods. A passenger in the vehicle, who did not run away, was taken to Danbury Hospital by Redding Ridge EMS for an injured arm, Redding Chief of Police Mark O'Donnell said.

This investigation remains open, and the identity of the operator is being withheld, as a warrant was prepared and sent to Danbury Superior Court for review on a list of multiple charges, according to O'Donnell.

On Saturday, "a very large bird" flew into the driver's side front windshield of a vehicle travelling northbound on Route 53. No one was injured in the single-car accident that followed, according to police.