5 Arrested After Allegedly Crashing Stolen Car Into Cruiser: PD

WESTPORT, CT — Police said five suspects were arrested after allegedly crashing a stolen vehicle into a police cruiser. The incident occurred Tuesday at approximately 5 a.m., police said.

Police said dispatch initially received a call from a citizen in the Saugatuck area of town who reported seeing several people exit a white vehicle, enter his yard and attempt to open the doors of his vehicles.

A second caller later also reported seeing several people exit what he described as a white Audi sport utility vehicle and enter his yard, according to a release. The caller then confronted the suspects, who allegedly got back into their vehicle and fled the area, police said.

Police said Officer Michael Tomanelli, who was one of the first responding units to arrive in the vicinity of the calls, saw the suspects travel around a curve on Harbor Road at a high rate of speed and cross over the double yellow line into his path of travel.

Police said Tomanelli tried to avoid the collision, however the suspects drove straight at his cruiser in an apparent intentional act. The crash caused extensive damage to both vehicles and injured Tomanelli, who was quickly transported to the hospital for evaluation, police said.

The suspects exited the vehicle and fled in different directions after the crash, police said. Officers from the Fairfield Police Department, Greenwich Police Department, Norwalk Police Department and Connecticut State Police aided in the subsequent search, according to police.

The Westport Police Department’s Marine Unit also responded to the scene to search and monitor the shoreline and adjacent waterways, police said. Westport police also deployed their drone to survey the area from overhead, and thermal imaging devices were utilized by officers on the ground, police said.

After a massive search, police eventually arrested five suspects whose vehicle was found to have been reported stolen out of Weston on Saturday, police said.

Police said the incident is still under further investigation.

Police said 19-year-old Adam Guzman, 19-year-old Julian Jackson and 18-year-old Rinaldo (Junior) Garcia-Giron, all of Waterbury, were charged with larceny, assault on a police officer, interfering/resisting arrest, criminal attempt at burglary, risk of injury to a minor, reckless driving and evading responsibility among other charges.

Bond was set at $55,000 each, and all three suspects are due to appear in court Jan. 5, police said.

Police said two juvenile suspects, one male and one female, were also taken into custody on related charges. Tomanelli, who was discharged from the hospital shortly after the initial accident, assisted in the apprehension of the suspects, police said.

This incident remains under investigation by the Westport Police Department’s Detective Bureau at this time, police said.

Images courtesy Westport police