Two men are in custody after an attempted burglary in Norwich early Monday morning. The arrest happened in Rocky Hill after a lengthy pursuit by multiple police departments.
Norwich Police said that just before 3:30am they received an alert that an ATM was being broken into at the Berkshire Bank on Salem Turnpike. They responded, which began a manhunt that spanned 30 miles and took several hours, eventually leading state police to a quiet suburban Rocky Hill neighborhood.
“Very scary,” said Nora Clark, who woke up to a large police presence in her neighborhood just before 6 a.m.
The Clark’s Rocky Hill neighborhood was swarming with police, searching for the two men who allegedly attempted to break into the ATM.
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“They attempted to use pry bars to get the ATM open and gain access to the safe inside, but they were unsuccessful,” Norwich Police Sgt. Scott Meikle said.
As police arrived at the bank, the suspects fled, beginning a pursuit from Norwich to Wethersfield. The suspects abandoned their car at exit 26 off Interstate 91 South. They then fled on foot.
Police K9 units tracked them for 10 miles to an area near Rocky Hill’s Goff Brook Lane.
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“I saw the police officers around our house. In the backyard with the dogs,” Clark said.
“A state trooper came over and spoke to my wife and said 'stay in the house.' You’ll be better off,” her husband Bobby said.
Instrumental in the suspects' capture was an off-duty Rocky Hill police officer who spotted the suspects walking near Old Main Street. The suspects were later arrested. They are Mark Francis Chee-You and Euris Tejada.
Both have known criminal records and are the latest to be involved in a type of crime that is not uncommon.
“We do have several active investigations that are relative to the one we dealt with last night,” said State Police Captain Chad Gomez.
The search concluded around 9 a.m. and involved several departments, including state police, Norwich, Wethersfield and Rocky Hill Police.
“I wasn’t shaken because I knew that the officers were out there,” said Bobby Clark. “So, we knew we would be safe and secure.”
The suspects were taken to Troop H in Hartford for processing. They’ve been charged with interfering and multiple motor vehicle charges, but other charges are expected.
