Two men accused of climbing through a ceiling and burglarizing a popular Middletown pizza restaurant have been arrested, thanks to an ID left behind at the crime scene and a dropped cell phone.
Police responded to Mondo Pizza, at 10 Main Street, around 11 p.m. on Thursday to investigate the report of a burglary in progress and an employee told authorities that a coin box, a purse, a computer worth around $800, as well as her purse and wallet were missing, police said.
While checking the restaurant, officers found a break in the ceiling of an office. The floor was covered in debris from the ceiling as well as items that had been on the shelves, according to police.
While the burglars where nowhere in sight, police found a Connecticut identification for Ryan Fletcher Barrow on the floor of an office, police said.
As officers canvassed the area, they found a cell phone next to what appeared to be the stolen coin box.
The second suspect then walked up to police. The man, later identified as Patrick Naylor, 25, of Middletown, came up to them and said he was looking for his cell phone.
Police asked for his number, called it and the phone found by the coin box rang, police said.
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Police also noted that the shoes Naylor had on matched the tread pattern at Mondo Pizza, police said.
When police brought Naylor to the station, he implicated himself and Barrow, 29, in the burglary, police said.
He told police they two men got into Mondo through a back door and went through the ceiling, police said, then Barrow fell through the ceiling and into the office, where he took the coin box, purse and laptop and threw them back up to Naylor.
After climbing back through the ceiling, the two men left, split up the money and went their separate ways, Naylor said, according to the arraignment report.
The two men are accused of stealing $1,665 and causing more than $1,500 in damage.
When police searched him, Naylor had $456 in his possession, as well as some drugs, police said.
He was charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree robbery, criminal mischief, failure to keep drug in original container and possession of a controlled substance. He was held on a $50,000 surety bond.
Police arrested Barrow on Friday while investigating an armed robbery reported on Green Street. He was charged with second-degree robbery and additional charges in that case. He was charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree larceny and criminal mischief in connection with the Mondo Pizza burglary and held on $50,000.
Police said Barrow and Naylor were known associates.
