Cops Say on Livery Driver's First Night on the Job, He Doesn't Return Car

Hired immediately as a taxi driver in New Canaan on Jan. 15, a 37-year-old Waterbury man was supposed to leave his cab parked at the New Canaan train station parking lot for the next driver.

Instead, police say, he took the car home with him, kept 100 percent of the fares he earned (instead of the 50 percent he was supposed to take) and didn’t refill the gas, even though he drove the car to his residence. In Waterbury.

New Canaan police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the matter:

Christopher Lopez (then 37, now 38 years old) met with a 71-year-old man with Livery A-1 car service, the car service at the New Canaan Railroad Station, on Jan. 15 to interview for a job as a driver. He was hired on the spot and told to start work that day.

Lopez was supposed to leave the car — a 2007 Lincoln Town Car — at the train station at the end of the shift (1:30 a.m.), and the next driver would take it from there in the morning.

The next morning: No cab. Lopez was contacted by management of Livery A-1. He delayed further in returning the vehicle. The owner reported the matter to New Canaan police, who contacted Lopez, who said he would have the car back.

Then something appears to have come up. The car didn’t get the car back to the livery company until Jan. 18, and not because Lopez delivered it. On that day the owner or manager of the service drove up to Waterbury, knocked on Lopez’ door, didn’t get an answer — and then had to obtain a key for the car, find it and drive it back to New Canaan.

Lopez never gave back the in fares he owed the livery company. Altogether, the business claimed a loss of $112.90, including some gasoline.

New Canaan police applied for a warrant for Lopez’ arrest, which was approved by prosecutors and a judge, but didn’t get Lopez until police in Waterford contacted the department at 2 a.m. on Monday to say they had him in custody on a separate case.

New Canaan police retrieved him that morning, held him initially on $1,000, which he didn’t post, and took him to state Superior Court in Norwalk.