Stolen SUV Used To Snatch Purse In Madison: Police

MADISON, CT – Branford Police Department said two juveniles from New Haven used a stolen vehicle from Norwalk to snatch a purse in Madison.

On Wednesday, June 14, Branford Police were informed of a purse snatching in Madison, and the occupants were driving a KIA SUV, police said.

Police said the juveniles then went to Clinton, where they used or attempted to use the stolen credit cards taken from the purse snatching moments earlier in Madison.

Then the two juveniles went to Branford, where an alert citizen noticed the vehicle driving around the Walmart parking lot, police said. The citizen said they saw the KIA driving in circles in the lot with a smashed-out window and the occupants wearing masks, police said.

Police responded to the area, where the vehicle engaged them in pursuit. The pursuit was broken off, but officers discovered the two juveniles were still in Walmart. After a brief foot pursuit, both juveniles were placed into custody and identified as juveniles out of New Haven, police said.

The juveniles had stolen numerous items from Walmart, police said.

Police said they discovered that the KIA SUV was stolen from Norwalk. The vehicle was located a short time later, and officers attempted to stop the car a second time.

The drivers of the KIA SUV began driving recklessly, including going through yards to avoid apprehension, police said. Given the nature of the incident and the circumstances, officers were not allowed to pursue the vehicle and terminated the pursuit, police said.

The two New Haven juveniles were charged with conspiracy to commit larceny of motor vehicle, 6th-degree larceny and interfering with an officer.

Police said they confirmed that the stolen Kia that engaged officers in pursuit was the same one used in the purse snatching from Madison, and that one of the juveniles in police custody was the one who stole the purse from the victim’s vehicle.

Madison Police came to Branford Police headquarters, where the juveniles observed on video taking the purse, were also charged by them, police said.

Both juveniles had been arrested in the past for related crimes, one was wearing a GPS ankle monitor, and the other had been arrested within the last 24 hours for a similar incident, police said.