OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. — Two people are in police custody after a robbery at an Old Saybrook grocery store and to a lengthy pursuit that ended in Cromwell, the Old Saybrook police chief confirmed to FOX61.
Police said at around 5 p.m. Thursday, someone called 911 who reported seeing a woman leaving the store with stolen merchandise. Police said the woman took out a taser when store security confronted her and then activated the taser toward the employee.
The woman then entered a car with a man in the driver's seat that was waiting in the parking lot. When the vehicle left the store, police tried to get the car to stop on Route 1, but the car did not stop, which engaged police in pursuit.
The pursuit went west on Route 1, to Route 166, and then onto Interstate-95 North. The suspect vehicle got off at Exit 70 in Old Lyme, and then onto I-95 South, and then to Route 9 North, eventually ending at Exit 18 in Cromwell.
The man driving left the vehicle on Wall Street in Cromwell and ran off. Police caught up with him and took him into custody. Police took the woman out of the vehicle and arrested her without incident.
Jessica Maloney, 40, of Southington, is facing the following charges:
- Carrying a Dangerous Weapon
- Robbery in the First Degree
- Threatening in the Second Degree
- Larceny in the Sixth Degree
- Larceny by Possession
- Possession of Narcotics
- Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia
- Interfering with a Police Officer
She is being held on a $250,000 bond. Maloney was also found to have outstanding arrest warrants from Middletown and Hartford police as well as state police Troop H.
Thomas Kaczmarski, 47, of New Britain, is facing the following charges:
- Engaging Police in Pursuit
- Reckless Driving
- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Drugs or Both
- Drinking While Driving
- Throwing Items While Driving (at Police Officers)
- Possession of Weapons in a Motor Vehicle
- Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree
- Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the Sixth Degree
- Interfering with a Police Officer
- Possession of Narcotics
- Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia
He is being held on a $150,000 bond.
The owner of Rail 99 Tavern in Cromwell saw the large police response before police told him to stay inside.
"Originally, I thought my alarm was going off," tavern owner Frank Mangene said. "All I heard was sirens, and I walked out the side door and I see multiple cruisers from all different towns."
Mangene told FOX61 he saw at least a dozen police cruisers in the area.
No shots were fired during the robbery or pursuit, said Old Saybrook Police Chief Michael Spera.
Police told FOX61 Maloney dropped the stolen merchandise when store security confronted her, but it is not clear if there were other stolen items in the car.
Old Lyme, Middletown, and Cromwell police, along with Connecticut State Police, assisted Old Saybrook police with this investigation.
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