A North Haven man tackled a suspect and pinned him to the ground after he was caught stealing his daughter’s bicycle.
A North Haven man tackled a suspect and pinned him to the ground after he was caught stealing his daughter’s bicycle.
Police say it happened on Kimberly Lane around 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.
A 38-year-old man was seen walking up a driveway, entering a garage and riding off with a pink and white child’s bicycle. But the bike became disabled down the road after its chain broke.
That’s when a neighbor alerted the homeowner of the crime, and the homeowner chased the suspect down. Police say he tackled the man and pinned him to the ground until officers arrived.
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The bicycle belonged to the homeowner’s daughter. No one was injured, and the bike was returned.
The suspect, who is from Waterbury, was arrested and charged with 3rd degree burglary and 6th degree larceny. He’s due in court next week.
“Neighbor of the year,” said Peter Depino of North Haven. “I’m glad they caught the guy. We don’t need people like that walking around neighborhoods like this.”
North Haven’s town selectman Michael Freda said, while he doesn’t condone residents going after suspects, he understands why this dad did.
“It’s another example of how someone’s coming in from out of town, off an exit, off the highway, into a residential area and thinks there’s no consequences,” Freda said. “Here in North Haven, there will be consequences. You’re gonna get arrested, we will pursue you. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Police posted on Facebook a message to residents, saying “confronting criminals comes with risk, and it is best practice to avoid confrontation if possible. We also remind would-be criminals that if you want to steal a kid’s bike, days away from Father’s Day, you also are taking a risk (dad strength).“
