MONROE, CT — Car thieves stole a white Audi Q7 from a garage in Easton, near the Monroe town line, Thursday afternoon, before stealing a white Range Rover from the Monroe Diner parking lot on Main Street. The Range Rover had a 9 millimeter handgun with three magazines inside when it was taken.
Monroe Police Lt. Kevin McKellick said the Easton Police Department notified town officers about the theft of the Audi at 2:10 p.m.
“We responded to the area and observed three white SUVs traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Route 25, passing Northbrook,” he said, adding Newtown and Easton police and State Police Troop A were updated about the situation.
“We lost contact with the vehicles and three minutes later received a report of a stolen white Range Rover out of the Monroe Diner parking lot,” McKellick said.
McKellick said a Monroe officer confirmed that one of the three white SUVs that passed him on Main Street was a white Range Rover.
Monroe police detectives are continuing to investigate the incident.
DNA leads to arrest
Monroe police detectives served an arrest warrant to a 43-year-old Shelton man Tuesday, with charges stemming from the theft of equipment from a shed at a home on Blueberry Lane on January 6, 2023.
Tony Fernandes, who was being held at Osborn Correctional Institute on unrelated charges, was charged with third-degree burglary and fourth-degree larceny for the Monroe burglary. He was arraigned the same day.
On January 6, 2023, police officers responded to the report of a shed broken into on Blueberry Lane. The padlock was pried off and backpack leaf blowers and chainsaws were stolen, according to the report.
While processing the scene, detectives found a long flathead screwdriver on the floor of the shed, which they believe was used to pry open the lock. The screwdriver was taken as evidence and DNA testing on it identified the alleged thief as Fernandes, according to police.
The victim did not recognize Fernandes, police said.
Cooking oil targeted
Buffalo Biodiesel told police someone cut the locks to the vat containing used cooking oil behind the Tollgate Plaza building, 838 Main St., which houses Mr. Mac’s Canteen and El Coyote restaurant, Thursday.
However, no oil was stolen, police said.
Buffalo Biodiesel buys oil from restaurants and processes it into fuel, which it sells at a profit.
Two vehicle crash
The driver of a Toyota Corolla allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign, before hitting the passenger side of a Honda Civic in the intersection of Moose Hill and Cross Hill roads Monday evening.
The driver of the Toyota, an Orange woman, 19, was issued an infraction for failure to obey a stop sign. No injuries were reported, but both vehicles were towed.
Police said the driver of the Toyota was heading east on Cross Hill and the Honda, driven by a Shelton woman, 23, was heading south on Moose Hill at the time of the accident.
Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel, who also responded to the crash at approximately 6:15 p.m., evaluated both drivers and a passenger in the Honda, a 19-year-old Shelton woman, at the scene.
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