Crime & Safety

Regional Police Roundup: Skip the ATM Withdrawal Fees, Use a Pay Loader

Get rich quick! Suspects tear an ATM off a Glastonbury bank with a pay loader before burying it in a Hartford landfill.

Pay Loader Brings Big Pay Day

The case: Police searched for multiple suspects who stole money from a TD Bank in Glastonbury on Sunday, March 10.

The twist: Police report that the suspects used a pay loader from a construction site near the Hebron Avenue bank to rip the ATM off the site just after midnight on Sunday. Then, using a dump truck taken from a nearby business, the suspects drove off with the ATM, police said.

Officers found the ATM buried in the Hartford Landfill the following day, smashed open and with the cash removed, according to police. Police did not know how much money was stolen from the ATM.

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Don't Fail and Drive  

The case: Police charged a 19-year-old Hartford man with evading responsibility, red light violation, stop sign violation, failure to drive right, second-degree reckless endangerment, improper passing, driving without a license, passing on the right, improper turn, reckless driving, and traveling unreasonably fast, according to police.

The twist: The driver, who had failed his DMV driving test Thursday morning, crashed into another car, ran through stop signs, almost hit a pedestrian and traveled the wrong way through Blue Back Square in West Hartford later that afternoon, police said.

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According to police, the failed driver's license test form was found in his heavily damaged car. Police said that the DMV Inspector had written comments, such as:" 'K turn needs work,' 'Did not make the correct choice when exiting Department of Labor lot,' 'Turned onto wrong side of road when exiting DOL lot into oncoming traffic,' 'Rolling stops.'"

No one was injured during the incident, police added.

High Plowing Standards

The case: A West Hartford man was charged with second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening, police said.

The twist: The West Hartford man, who lives on Hugh Street, was not satisfied with the plowing job on Hugh Street as drivers cleaned up after Friday's snowstorm, according to police. He took out his frustration by telling a West Hartford Department of Public Works plow driver that he would get his gun and "blow your head off," police said.

Further investigation showed that the man does not own any guns or a pistol permit, according to the Hartford Courant.

Prison Guard Starts a Brawl 

The case: A man was charged with third-degree assault, third-degree robbery and second-degree larceny at the Greater Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, according to police.

The twist: The accused works as a corrections officer at the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers and was charged after knocking out a Manchester police officer, police report.

The accused and the victim had stopped in "many bars" that Saturday, police said, before the fight occurred. Police found the corrections officer with the knocked out man's wallet in his possession, police said.

Drug Bust déjà vu?

The case: Police charged a Vernon man with sale of marijuana after searching his car on March 14 while it was parked in front of a Rockville convenience store, police report.

The twist: Police said that the arrest took place at Rockville Mart, which was also the scene of a large drug bust just last week on March 7, when the East Central Narcotics Task Force found synthetic pot hidden in a soft drink cooler.

Police searched the accused's car on Thursday because it was parked illegally and was partially obstructing the roadway, police report. Vernon police dog Narko sniffed out 20 bags of marijuana after the suspect refused to cooperate, police said.


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