SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — On Christmas Eve in Southington, police stopped a stolen car with four suspects inside as they headed into town using technology and tactics. Those tools include their FLOCK LPR system, and Southington PD’s K9 'Tank.'
“In this case, the dog is the greatest asset because they do have the ability to pick up on the scent of the suspect. And in this case, they had just fled the area,” said Lt. Keith Egan with the Southington Police Department.
Lt. Egan said the FLOCK system picked up on the car while it was on the Meriden Waterbury Turnpike.
“Once we get a hit on our FLOCK system, we typically broadcast it immediately and our officers get it as well in the cruisers,” Lt. Egan said.
Officers found the 2018 Kia Forte near Meriden Avenue and Main Street when they said the driver accelerated, blew through intersections, and tried to get away. Soon, officers were able to catch up with them at another location and deploy Stop Sticks to slow the car down. Eventually, the car ended up on Highland Avenue in Cheshire.
That’s where police said they found the Kia abandoned with all four doors open, where the ignition was found to be tampered with, allowing it to be started without a key.
“Typically the vehicles that are stolen are the ones with the keys in them, or they’re able to be tampered with like the Kias and the Hyundais,” Lt. Egan said.
Shortly after, with help from Cheshire Police and K9 Tank, Southington investigators found two 18-year-old males.
Ronald Mcauley Jr. of New Haven and Andre Lorenzo Woods of Hamden were both arrested and charged with Larceny of a Motor Vehicle, Larceny in the Third Degree, Criminal Trover in the First Degree, Interfering with Office, Reckless Driving, and Risk of Injury to a Minor (Two counts).
The suspects then told police about two other juveniles they were with.
Hours later, K9 Tank located them, hiding in a tree. Police arrested them, too.
“The cars are typically stolen all over the state, they’re used in a commission of a crime often, and then they’re dumped in one of the towns,” Lt. Egan said. “So, we can not only recover a stolen car, we can prevent crime. And that’s the ultimate goal here, is to deter them from committing crimes.”
Lt. Egan said his department has it down to a science. So, his message to those who are thinking of doing the same thing is the following.
“If you’re coming into town with a stolen car, we know you’re here and we’re going to be looking for you do, don’t come to Southington,” Lt. Egan said.
The two adult males were arraigned in New Britain on Tuesday, with bonds set at $150,000. The two juveniles were processed, released to a parent, and scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court.
Since this case does involve a stolen Kia, Lt. Egan encourages people who may have the same car or a Hyundai to take measures to protect themselves. In Southington, the police department is still handing out free wheel locks for Hyundai owners.
For others, Lt. Egan encourages people to call their local police departments or contact their car dealerships for guidance.
“In some cases, I know with the Hyundais, it’s just a matter of a program update. So, contact your local dealer, find out what they have available. If they don’t provide a wheel lock, maybe it’s a program that needs to be taken care of. And if it comes down to it, I would recommend buying a wheel lock,” Lt. Egan said.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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