DERBY – A mother and daughter from Bridgeport were arrested for a home invasion in Orange Thursday, and in court it was revealed that it all may have stemmed from a problem with one of the women’s prescribed medications.
The home invasion occurred on Orange Center Road, where Peggy Curtiss, 35, walked into an unlocked home and was greeted by the surprised home owners.
“I asked her who she was and what she was doing and she said that she was looking for someone,” said one of the homeowners, who wished not to reveal her identity. “So, I asked her to please leave the house.”
But the homeowner says Curtiss immediately came back in, which now had this homeowner angry.
“I said ‘no, no, no! Get out!’ So, she actually left and I slammed the door and I locked it,” she said.
Then, Curtiss smashed a window with a lawn decoration and started to crawl through it.
“She was screaming as she was entering the window to ‘give me back my son,’” according to the homeowner, who was already on the phone with police.
The couple was instructed to leave the home. Orange police immediately sent all available resources to the home and encountered Curtiss’ mother, also named Peggy, waiting for her daughter in the driveway. As she was taken into custody, several other officers entered the home and located the daughter in an upstairs bathroom.
“When she was non-compliant with their commands, unfortunately, they had to deploy a Taser and take her into custody,” said Assistant Chief Anthony Cuozzo of the Orange Police Department.
The younger Peggy Curtiss, who was already facing DUI and possession of a controlled substance charges for unrelated incidents, was booked on six charges. Her public defender today admitted this incident was rather bizarre.
“I believe that it comes from the psychosis caused by problems with her medication,” said her court assigned Public Defender, attorney Bruce Weiant.
The younger Curtiss was released on a written promise to appear, but is under house arrest until her competency hearing on January 26.
Weiant says his client told him the mother and daughter simply walked into the wrong home. The daughter told police they were looking for a friend, who actually lived about a block away. Police would not comment on that claim, citing an ongoing investigation.
Peggy Curtiss, 55, was arrested on conspiracy to commit burglary and larceny charges. She posted bond on Thursday night and is due in court at a later date.
