MONROE, CT — Police detectives are investigating a robbery at Direct Diamond Company, 590 Main St., in which two suspects made off with a cash box, containing a small amount of cash, and fled in a dark gray Honda Accord Thursday afternoon.
At approximately 1:28 p.m., an employee called police to report the robbery. She told officers none of the men threatened her or brandished a weapon, according to the report.
She told officers a man knocked on the door, so she activated a button to buzz him in. He then held the door open for another man, who ran in from the front sidewalk and jumped over a counter on his way to a back office, where he pulled open the safe door, reached inside and pulled out a cash box, police said.
After jumping back over the counter and running out of the store, both men took off. Police said a camera in front of the store picked up the fleeing vehicle.
The employee said the vehicle had no front plate, but she managed to obtain a partial number for the plate on the back. Police reportedly found no matches. She also told officers the vehicle had visible damage on the right, rear quarter panel.
The Toyota headed south on Route 25, so police alerted Trumbull police and Troop G of the robbery, and gave them a description of the vehicle. Monroe officers also searched the area, but did not find the car.
The suspect who ran into the store is described as a tall, skinny Black male, approximately 6’2, with dreadlocks, wearing a bright red hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a blue surgical style mask.
The employee could not guess his age based on his appearance, but thought he must be young by the way he jumped over the counter, police said.
The second suspect is described as a Black male with an average build, who was noticeably shorter than the other man. He wore a light gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a black mask. The employee told police she believed is was a ski mask, but couldn’t be sure.
Police detectives processed the crime scene for fingerprints and other evidence.
A light in the sky
A man called police to report seeing a strange green and yellow light in the sky above the Henny Penny/Stevenson Lumber area on Route 34 at 1:56 a.m. Monday. Police said no UFO was located.
Fraud arrest
A Bridgeport man was served a Monroe arrest warrant at court Thursday morning, for allegedly using an ATM machine to deposit a stolen $15,284 check into an account on December 7, 2022.
Hasan Khalid, 27, of Lee Ave., was charged with second-degree larceny and fraudulent use of an automated teller. He was released on $15,000 court-set-bond for a March 17 court date.
In from Rikers
Monroe police officers picked up Bakheem Cooke, 22, one of the suspects charged in the July 13 robbery at Rite Aid pharmacy, 508 Monroe Turnpike, from Rikers Island Wednesday morning.
Cooke, who had been taken in by the U.S. Marshal Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, waived his extradition, allowing Monroe officers to take him into custody.
He was charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, and criminal liability acts of another/second-degree threatening.
Cooke’s last known address was 105 Lefferts Place in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tracking a thief
A man who saw an employee of Walgreens pharmacy, 275 Monroe Turnpike, walk out after another man, who ran out of the store Wednesday afternoon, decided to follow the suspect as he drove to Rite Aid pharmacy, 508 Monroe Turnpike, in a beat up, green Toyota Corolla.
The witness told police he later saw the man leave Rite Aid with something in his hand. Police spoke to the manager, who was unaware of any theft.
The witness told officers he was in Walgreens earlier, when he saw the thin male of unknown race, wearing a blue track suit, blue Crocs, a white face mask and a red baseball cap causing a commotion, before running out of the store.
Officers spoke to the manager who told them she heard a loud commotion from the shaving aisle and saw a suspect matching the eyewitness’ description taking razors. When she looked at the man, the suspect ran out of the store and got into the passenger seat of the green Toyota, whose driver took off, police said.
Police said the license plate belongs to a different vehicle.
The stolen razors had a total value of close to $507. Police are investigating the theft and said Rite Aid is doing an inventory to determine if anything was stolen from its store.
The incident was reported just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Catalytic converter theft
A Lynn Drive woman told police someone stole the catalytic converter off her 2005 Toyota Prius when it was parked in her driveway Tuesday.
She told police the engine sounded loud when she started it and attempted to drive that afternoon. Officers found two bolts and springs on the driveway where she had parked earlier and confirmed the catalytic converter was removed.
There is no video surveillance footage at this time, but police said the woman has a motion sensor next to her mailbox light, which went off at 2:58 a.m. and went off again 10 minutes later.
She told officers she drove her Prius the prior evening and the catalytic converter was still intact.
Pay for the shakes, take the supplements
Two women stole close to $467 worth of Neuriva and Walgreens supplements from Walgreens pharmacy, 275 Monroe turnpike, on March 2, according to store video surveillance shared with police Tuesday.
At 7:23 p.m. on March 2, police said video shows a Black female with a medium to larger build and black hair, wearing a white shirt, brown jacket and black pants enter the store. She went to the bathroom and left 10 minutes later.
At 7:37 p.m. a Black female with a thinner build, wearing blue medical scrubs, a white medical coat and black shoes entered store.
On minute later, the first suspect reenters store and meets the second woman in the supplement aisle, police said.
They fill a shopping cart with eight boxes of Neuriva and a Walgreens supplement (total value $466.92) and add approximately $205 worth of Ensure shakes on top, walk to the register and use an employee discount number and store credit to pay for the Ensure, leaving without paying for the supplements.
Police said they left in a white SUV. The suspects have not been identified and the incident is still under investigation.
A clean getaway
A man stole close to $600 worth of laundry detergent from Stop & Shop, 470 Monroe Turnpike, on Feb. 26, according to video surveillance footage shared with police by the store’s loss prevention department.
At 6:19 p.m., video shows a Black male wearing a blue surgical mask, black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants and black shoes enter the store, fill a shopping cart with around 34 containers of detergent and leave without paying.
Police said he drove off in a dark gray sedan. The detergent had a total value of just over $587. Monroe police detectives are investigating the theft.
Stop & Shoplift
A man allegedly stole $350 worth of Red Bull and Monster Energy drinks, premade coffee drinks, multiple sprays and disinfectant wipes from Stop & Shop on Feb. 26, according to video surveillance footage shared with police by the store’s loss prevention department.
At 4:23 p.m., a White male wearing a blue jacket, gray pants and black shoes entered the store filled his shopping cart with the items, remained in the store for around 20 minutes, and left at 4:53 p.m. without paying, police said.
He drove off in what appeared to be a black BMW sedan.
Hit and run
A Pepper Street woman heard a loud noise outside her home Monday morning, which sounded like a car accident, at around 5:45 a.m. Then a neighbor later called to say her mailbox was in the middle of the road.
A police investigation determined a vehicle heading north on Pepper Street crossed the double yellow line, went off the road and struck the mailbox.
There were no witnesses nor video footage at the time of the report. Police said no car parts from the collision were left behind.
Unemployment fraud
A 43-year-old Monroe woman told police she was contacted by the Connecticut Department of Labor for an unemployment claim, though she is still employed and never filed for benefits.
She does not believe she had any financial loss, police said, adding she was advised to contact the Labor Department, the Social Security Administration, the three major credit bureaus, and credit card companies and banks she does business with to inform them of the fraud.
