A former Glastonbury police officer who is suspected in dozens of burglaries in three states is accused of committing a burglary in Stratford and more charges have been filed against him.
Patrick Hemingway, 37, of Glastonbury, is suspected in more than 40 commercial burglaries in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island since February 2023, according to arrest warrants.
He was a Glastonbury police officer from January 2019 until Sept. 1, 2023, when he resigned, according to court documents.
Before that, he was a New Britain police officer from August 2009 until joining the Glastonbury police department.
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After Hemingway was arrested in November, Glastonbury police released a statement, saying:
"We acknowledge the recent arrests of Mr. Hemingway and are aware that there may be additional arrests pending. The Glastonbury Police staff feels a mix of embarrassment and anger, as it is disheartening to see someone who once wore our patch and worked alongside us blatantly betray the public's trust.
Our officers have sworn an oath to safeguard and serve the Glastonbury community. Through years of unwavering dedication, they have diligently upheld this commitment, fostering positive and collaborative relationships.
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Mr. Hemingway's actions stand in stark contrast to the bravery, dedication, and hard work exhibited by the men and women of the Glastonbury Police Department. We express gratitude to everyone who has reached out to support our staff. "
On Feb. 28, Hemingway was arrested by Wethersfield police. He is accused of stealing multiple items and cash, valuing over $76,000, from Lucky Lou's Bar and Grill on Main Street.
On Jan. 23, Stratford police charged Hemingway with burglary in the third degree, larceny in the fifth degree and criminal mischief in the second degree.
According to the arrest warrant, Hemingway is suspected of a burglary at Biagio Osteria at 88 Ryders Lane in Stratford on April 20.
Police responded to Biagio Osteria on that April morning when alarms started going off and did not see signs of a burglary.
Then police returned when the owner called police back later in the morning and reported a burglary.
Surveillance video showed a man at the back door around 4 a.m. who couldn’t get inside and he walked out of the camera’s view, the arrest warrant says.
A few minutes later, a black Jeep Cherokee was seen moving from the back of the building to the front, then a man got in through the locked door and took money from a register in the bar area as well as a register in a different area of the restaurant, according to the arrest warrant.
Police said Hemingway is suspected of stealing $500 in cash and causing around $150 worth of damage to the front door.
Hemingway remains in the custody of the state Department of Correction.
He is accused of misusing the COLLECT law enforcement database. He is due in court on Feb. 21 on those charges.
Then on Nov. 15, Old Saybrook police arrested Hemingway and charged him with burglary in the third degree.
According to the arrest warrant from Stratford, Old Saybrook police responded to Pizza Palace on May 8 to investigate after an alarm went off early that morning. The owner told investigators that it did not appear that anything was taken. Part of the investigation included DNA samples.
Hemingway is due in court on the Old Saybrook charges on March 15.
On Nov. 16, Wethersfield police charged a Patrick Hemingway with burglary in the third degree, larceny in the sixth degree and criminal mischief in connection with a burglary at the Old Wethersfield Country Store from February. The arrest warrant from Stratford mentions the burglary at the Old Wethersfield Country Store.
This case has been continued to March 1.
On Dec. 6, East Hampton police charged Hemingway with burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the first degree and larceny in the sixth degree.
He is suspected of stealing the cash register from Loco Perro Restaurant, on High Street in East Hampton, early on the morning of March 8, according to an arrest warrant application dated Nov. 27.
The owner of the restaurant said the cash register that was taken had between $150 and $200 inside and the cost of the damage done to the restaurant during the burglary is estimated at around $2,000.
The burglary happened hours after Hemingway was at the Glastonbury Police Department for training, according to the warrant.
He is due in court on March 15 for those charges.
Hemingway is due in court to face the Stratford charges on March 5.
The arrest warrant says Hemingway “evolved in his tactics” and was stealing the front plate off vehicles of a similar year and model to his and putting them on his Jeep before committing the burglaries in an attempt to elude law enforcement.
On Jan. 23, Stratford police charged Hemingway with burglary in the third degree, larceny in the fifth degree and criminal mischief in the second degree in Connection with the Biagio Osteria burglary.
The arrest warrant also mentioned some additional burglaries that police have been investigating, but no charges have been filed in those cases.
