HIGGANUM — FOX61 reported on Friday how a suspect stole a Haddam woman’s car as she was unloading groceries, backing it out of her garage, and knocking her to the ground. Connecticut State Police issued alerts for the Hyundai Tuscon and warnings about the driver/thief.
This morning, the car was found. The carjacker is still on the run.
Holly Rothman told FOX61’s Matt Caron she returned to her home on Killingworth Road (Route 81) about noon on Friday. She was getting the groceries into the house and had left her keys in the car. She saw a man walking up the driveway and into her garage. She said she thought the suspect was a delivery person.
She went out to the car and found him sitting in the driver’s seat. When she confronted him, he started backing out of the garage. She said the open driver’s door struck her and she fell, leaving her with scrapes and bruises.
This morning, police told her the car had been found, recovered by police in New Britain’s Walnut Hill Park.
The front door was damaged, apparently from when he drove off with it open. Holly says a New Britain officer had to slam the door shut so she could drive it. “I probably shouldn’t have driven it, because the car was shaking the whole way,” to the body shop she drove it to. She suspects the undercarriage is damaged as well as the door.
Holly suspects the thief picked up a passenger, because the passenger seat was reclined way back, and there was a beer in a paper bag on the floor. The thief stole her wireless headphones, and her keys — which means she now has to change all her locks.
Security video from an area business captured him walking on Rte. 81 prior to stealing the car. Police described the suspect as about 5′ 10″ tall, 30-40 years old, short brown hair, possibly with a goatee or facial hair, sunglasses, a light colored ball cap, dark colored knee length shorts, dark high top foot wear, and carrying a dark colored back pack or bag.
Anyone with information is asked to call State Police at 860-399-2100.
