DEEP Charges 2 CT Residents With Theft Of Tracks From Iconic Rail Line

OLD SAYBROOK, CT — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's police force has arrested two state residents in connection with the theft of railroad track on which an iconic train runs.

The DEEP announced the April 9 arrests Friday. Track materials were stolen from Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park in Old Saybrook and EnCon officers conducted an extensive investigation with assistance from the Valley Railroad Company, DEEP officials said.

The case dates back to Feb. 26, when EnCon Police were notified by the Valley Railroad that two individuals were seen dismantling and removing sections of railroad track behind Tractor Supply in Old Saybrook. The Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park and the tracks are both owned by the DEEP and were purchased by the agency in 1967.

The DEEP leases the railroad tracks to the Valley Railroad Company which operates under the name "Essex Steam Train and Riverboat."

The investigation determined that 38-year-old Nicole S. Hooghkirk 47-year-old Jason A. Hubbard, both of Clinton, had dismantled and damaged approximately .4 miles of track, which were then sold as scrap to various local scrap yards, according to the DEEP.

The damage to the track was subsequently repaired, restoring the tracks to safe use.

The 12-mile stretch of track within the state park is an active track which runs passenger cars year-round, including the popular “North Pole Express.”

Deep officials said that warrants were issued out of Middletown Superior Court On April 1, and Hooghkirk and Hubbard were taken into custody by the Clinton Police Department on April 9.

• Hooghkirk and Hubbard were both charged with:
• First-degree damage to railroad property
• First-degree criminal mischief
• Fourth-degree larceny
• Second-degree reckless endangerment

Each charge was accompanied by a related conspiracy, DEEP officials said.

The cases are sealed on the state judicial system data base. The DEEP said that Hooghkirk was released on "Appearance Bond" and Hubbard was being held on a court-set bond of $5,000.