Fugitive From Missouri Arrested After Westport Crash

WESTPORT, CT — A 19-year-old New Haven man, who was a wanted fugitive in Missouri, was arrested by Connecticut State Police on Saturday morning after a crash in a stolen vehicle on the Merritt Parkway northbound near Exit 42, according to authorities.

George Vargas ran into the woods following the 8:30 a.m. crash, and a witness told state police that Vargas might have been carrying a gun.

He was captured near Highland Road in Westport, but initially Vargas gave state police a false name before troopers learned his true identity.

"During a search for possible concealed weapons, troopers discovered that Vargas was in possession of a black taser-type device, which was secured and collected as evidence," state police officials wrote in a statement. "When asked, Vargas explained to troopers that he had not been carrying a gun when he ran into the woods. In the interest of public safety, an extensive search of the surrounding area was conducted and no firearms or other weapons were located."

Vargas was wanted by Missouri authorities as a fugitive from justice after he failed to appear in court to answer an assault charge, according to state police.

Troopers later discovered that the vehicle Vargas crashed had been reported stolen earlier on Saturday from the University of Connecticut campus in Stamford.

In addition to the Fugitive from Justice charge out of Missouri, Vargas was also charged with the following:

• Failure to Maintain Proper Lane
• Evading Responsibility
• Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License
• Interfering with an Investigation
• Criminal Possession of an Electronic Defense Weapon
• Weapons in a Motor Vehicle,
• Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
• Operating a Motor Vehicle While Using a Handheld Device

Vargas was held in lieu of bail of $760,000, and he was scheduled to be arraigned in Stamford Superior Court on Monday.