WATERTOWN, Conn. — Police are looking for a suspect driving a black Nissan Rogue with a broken passenger-side mirror after it was seen in two incidents related to car theft.
One couple living in the area says they want to remind people to lock your doors after they say they had to scare off a suspect wearing a ski mask who tried to break in their vehicle while they were home.
“Very Violated, you know this is a great neighborhood, now I’m being worried more and more,” said Rebecca, who spoke with FOX61 hours after the incident happened hoping to get the attempted thief caught.
Too shaken to be on camera, Rebecca and her husband, Larry, said they can at least share what happened.
The couple said the incident occurred around 8 in the morning, New Year’s Day.
Larry said he used his remote starter to heat up his car but went outside to turn the defroster on in the car.
He says he decided to leave the keys and went back towards the house and moments later that's when a black vehicle drive was spotted on surveillance camera turn around in the street and park in Rebecca and Larry’s driveway and enter the couple’s vehicle.
Larry said, "As I am walking in the house, she is yelling at me somebody is breaking into the truck, literally, I was just out here.”
In the surveillance video that’s when we see Rebecca and Larry charge at the suspect who they say looked like a man wearing a ski mask.
Rebecca said, “The car which was backing out of the driveway at the time and I was trying to launch into his window or something I don’t know I just wasn’t thinking just going straight at it so unsuccessfully and I fell and I got back up and continued chasing after them.”
But according to Watertown Police the black Nissan Rogue didn’t stop there; Just a few miles down the road it was here LaBonne’s Market where a car had all 4 of its tires stolen leaving an employee with his vehicle now on blocks.
Watertown police say besides the market incident, the area has seen an uptick of car thefts and burglaries within the past three months which is why they say it’s best to lock your doors, even if you're just warming it up.
Det. Mark Conway with Watertown Police spoke with FOX61. He said, “There are people just driving just looking for those vehicles, and they hop in and take them a lot of vehicles that are stolen are not really stolen for parts, they are mostly used for a short time by the person. A lot of times those are used in other crimes.”
Watertown police also say while this one thief was scared away It’s always best to call the police and avoid contact.
“We rather have people call the police and let us try and track the person down because you know somebody in the situation can be unpredictable in how they react to a person. It’s not worth it to get injured over a vehicle,” said Det. Conway.
The incident is still under investigation.
Watertown police say if you have any information to call them immediately.