Greenwich Police: Waterbury is the Nexus in the Case of Four Stolen Cars in Greenwich

Greenwich Police solved the cases of four cars stolen late last week: a 2015 Audi S4, a 2015 Audi A8, a 2010 Lexus and a 2006 BMW.

Three of the cars were recovered after pursuit and crashes in Waterbury.

The 2006 BMW was recovered on Oval Avenue in Greenwich on March 8th after being stolen out of Waterbury.

One of the cars stolen from Greenwich, a 2010 Lexus, was involved in a shooting between a Waterbury Police Officer and a suspect in Waterbury.

The Waterbury Republican-American is reporting that an 18-year-old suspected car thief was shot after a pursuit by police. “Police shot the driver of a suspected stolen SUV Thursday afternoon after a pursuit that was sparked when the vehicle nearly hit another officer who was working at a construction site,” the Waterbury Republican-American reported on March 9.

On March 10 the paper reported that Police charged an 18-year-old man who was shot by police Thursday afternoon while driving a stolen SUV with 10 crimes, including assaulting an officer.

“We are operating on the understanding that the BMW found on Oval Avenue was a drop car,” said Greenwich Police Lt. Kraig Gray on Monday, March 13.

A drop car is a car a that car thieves will steal and abandon as they move on to pursue more valuable cars.

Greenwich Police detectives are coordinating with Waterbury Police and police from other jurisdictions. The stolen cars had been left unlocked.

Car thieves often operate in the overnight hours looking for unlocked cars by checking car door handles, or, in the case of higher-end cars, checking whether side view mirrors are folded in or extended. When high-end cars are locked, the side view mirrors fold in against the car.

Lt. Gray cautioned residents that not all stolen cars are going to Waterbury.

“We have other leads on other stolen cars that have gone in the other direction – towards New York and New Jersey.

See also:

Greenwich Police: Organized Crew Breaking Into Vehicles with Force
Greenwich, Among Other Affluent Towns, Targeted by Car Thieves