WORCESTER, MA — Three men, two of them from Worcester, face charges after a covert police operation targeted dirt bike and ATV thefts in Connecticut.
Angelo Cruz, 21, and Anthony Smith, 23, both of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Carlos Torres, 23, were accused of entering a target location and attempting to break into a storage unit, the Enfield, CT Police Department said Thursday.
Enfield police said they organized "Operation Whiskey Throttle" in response to theft of dirt bikes and ATVs from storage units, homes and businesses in surrounding communities.
Investigators placed an online marketplace listing advertising dirt bikes for sale, a tactic police said was designed to attract groups that use online listings to identify potential victims and storage locations.
Members of the Enfield PD's Detective Bureau, Canine Unit, Community Police Unit and Patrol Division monitored the location with an agent from Homeland Security Investigations. Local businesses also assisted with the operation.
Officers revealed themselves after seeing the three men approach the storage unit and attempt to break in, police said, claiming that the men ignored commands and fled. You can view the body-cam footage police released here.
Officers arrested two men following a brief foot chase. Police K-9 Dunkin was deployed after the third man entered an adjoining wooded area, and the department said officers apprehended him.
Each man was charged with third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, third-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal trespass and interfering with police. Police set bond at $250,000 for each suspect, police said.
All three were presented on Friday in Hartford Superior Court.
"This is the first in a series of operations that will be conducted in the coming weeks and months targeting those who attempt to commit crimes in Enfield and the surrounding area," Enfield police said in the announcement. "We extend our deepest gratitude to Mom's Motorsports of Enfield, Eric's Auto Body, and Stop, Drop and Lock Storage of Enfield, for the use of their equipment and facilities, as well as their support of this operation."
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