A New York man allegedly swiped a clerk’s $700 iPhone 8 from the counter inside the Sunoco station at 396 Monroe Turnpike, while buying water bottles Sunday afternoon.
The employee, who had been distracted while ringing up the purchase, noticed his phone was missing a short time later, saw what happened by reviewing surveillance camera footage and called police.
Using the Find My Phone app, the gas station clerk tracked his iPhone to Jones Family Farm on Walnut Tree Hill Road in Shelton. Police officers went to the farm and found a vehicle matching the description of what the suspect was driving.
Police found the driver, identified as Zef Bujaj, 42, of 18 Stoner Avenue in Great Neck, N.Y., and the cellphone was on him, according to the report.
Bujaj was charged with fifth-degree larceny and released on $473 cash bond for a Dec. 18 court date.
Plate leads to evading driver
A license plate left at the scene of a crash at the intersection of Route 59 and Hattertown Road Tuesday afternoon led police to the driver’s Easton home, where he was issued a misdemeanor summons for failure to maintain his lane and evading responsibility.
Police said James Waterbury admitted to hitting a street sign with his 2010 Ford Expedition.
Prior to that, Monroe officers responding to the report of an accident saw the damaged sign with the license plate at the intersection. From the tire tracks they determined a vehicle was heading north on Hattertown Road when it went off the road and hit the sign.
Easton police officers assisted Monroe’s officers in going to Waterbury’s home. Waterbury is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 17.
I.D. theft
A Sleepy Hollow Drive man reported three fraudulent withdrawals from his bank account totaling $2,635.
Police said an identity theft protection text message informed the man that someone tried to open a new account in his name at Bankwell Bank. When he called the bank, he was told there was no account in his name.
But when he checked his personal account at his own bank, police said he learned of the fraudulent transactions.
The resident made the complaint Thursday and police are investigating.
Dog hit by SUV
A dog hit by an SUV on Pastors Walk died from its injuries Wednesday night. Police said the driver stopped and got out of his vehicle, but was yelled at by the upset pet owner, who told him to leave.
Pickup engulfed in flames
Firefighters extinguished a vehicle fire on Belle Vale Street on Sunday morning.
Police said a Belle Vale Street resident started the engine of his 1999 Dodge Ram pickup truck, parked in a side yard, to warm it up, then received a phone call from a neighbor telling him it was on fire.
The call came in around 10:41 a.m.
Illegal dumping
Witnesses told police they saw a man drive into the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot on Monroe Turnpike Tuesday, place several antifreeze containers into the Dumpster, then drive off.
In a Dec. 4 post on the Monroe CT Police Department Facebook page police wrote: “on behalf of our local businesses. It is illegal to dump trash in dumpsters placed on private property unless given explicit permission by the owner of the dumpster to do so. This includes dumpsters that are placed on construction sites, commercial dumpsters at businesses, roll-offs and other trash receptacles placed on private property.
It is considered larceny.
