Suspect Arrested In Connection With Stolen Vehicle Case: Police

WESTPORT, CT — An 18-year-old New Haven man was arrested by Westport police on a first-degree larceny charge early Tuesday in connection with a stolen vehicle out of Shelton, according to authorities.

Tyjon Preston, who was operating the stolen Honda CR-V at the time of his apprehension, was released after posting a $600 bond. Three juveniles were in the vehicle with him at the time, and while they were not charged, Westport police said the investigation is continuing.

The incident began at about 2:30 a.m. when a Richmondville Avenue resident contacted Westport police that unlocked vehicles in his driveway had been broken into.

"The complainant reported that he had initially heard a vehicle speeding away from the area of his home," Westport police said. "He then observed that multiple unlocked vehicles parked in his driveway had apparently been entered, noting that their interior lights were illuminated."

As an officer drove up to the area, the officer saw a group of three vehicles traveling together a short distance from the Richmondville home.

"Upon seeing the marked police cruiser all three vehicle operators turned off their headlamps in an apparent attempt to elude officers; fleeing the immediate area at a high rate of speed and traveling north on Weston Road toward the town line," police said. "Officers did not engage in pursuit. The officer who initially spotted these three vehicles was able to obtain a description of two of the three. This information was relayed to other responding officers who maintained a perimeter around the area."

Those two vehicles were a Cadillac Escalade and the Honda CRV-V, and both were spotted returning to Westport heading southbound on Weston Road.

"An officer had positioned himself on Weston Road near the entrance ramps to the Merritt Parkway believing that the vehicles would travel back in that direction," Westport police said. "At this time, he was able to successfully deploy a stop stick tire deflation device that was then struck by both of these vehicles as they passed his location. Both then entered the Merritt Parkway northbound at slow speeds with the officer following. It was confirmed through computer checks of their registrations that both vehicles were previously reported stolen and that both had been left unlocked with keys in the vehicles at the time of theft. The Cadillac had been stolen out of the town of Trumbull, Connecticut and the Honda out of the town of Shelton, Connecticut."

Though the vehicles' tires were losing air, the Cadillac Escalade continued northbound on the Parkway, while the Honda CR-V exited in Fairfield with a Westport officer following, according to police.

"Shortly after exiting into Fairfield, the vehicle's tires had fully deflated causing it to come to a stop," Westport police said. "At that time four occupants were detained. The operator was identified as Tyjon Preston, age 18, of New Haven, Connecticut. He was in the company of three juveniles, also residing in New Haven, Connecticut."

The unoccupied Cadillac Escalade was recovered by Connecticut State Police on I-95 near exit 30. Westport police found an ignition key to a GMC Acadia inside the recovered Honda, and soon found the unoccupied Arcadia on Weston Road in Weston. Westport police learned that the Arcadia had been reported stolen out of Easton, where it had been left unlocked and with the keys inside.

Preston is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Sept. 30.

"Although officers were successful in apprehending these individuals, this is not usually the case, as motor vehicle burglaries and stolen vehicles have become an all too common occurrence within our community in recent weeks," Westport police said, and urged residents to be more proactive by locking their vehicles to avoid burglaries and thefts.