Middlebury Acting Police Chief Francis Dabbo reports that Friday, Feb. 5, at approximately 4:10 a.m., Officers Pat Deely and Bill Kalvaitis were dispatched to White Avenue on a disturbance complaint. A neighbor reported hearing glass break.
The neighbor watched as someone drove a van under an overhead garage door to gain access to a garage. A suspect, later identified as Raymond Rodriguez, 33, of Waterbury, dragged a lawn mower and a generator out of the garage. Officer Deely arrived as Rodriguez was in the act of stealing the items. Deely ordered Rodriguez to stop, but he fled on foot.
Officer Kalvaitis arrived and took up a search of the area. Officer Ed Demers responded with his police K-9, Jay. Demers initiated a track and located Rodriguez’s cell phone in a neighboring yard.
Town of Middlebury Public Works employees, who were conducting snow-plowing operations, were alerted to the search for the suspect. After several sightings by snow-plow operators, Rodriguez was placed on South Street near Longmeadow Road. Officer Demers went there, confronted Rodriguez and ordered him to stop.
The suspect turned and started to run into a wooded area. Demers warned Rodriguez that if he did not stop, Demers would release the K-9. Rodriguez immediately surrendered and was placed under arrest. Rodriguez was bleeding from a laceration on his wrist believed to have been sustained while committing the burglary.
He was brought to Middlebury Police Headquarters where medical personnel were summoned to treat him and transport him to Waterbury Hospital. While in the hospital awaiting treatment, Rodriguez escaped custody and ran from the hospital. Rodriguez was eventually tracked down by Waterbury and Middlebury police officers. He was returned to the hospital, where he was treated for his injury, and then transported to Middlebury for processing.
Chief Dabbo thanks and commends the Middlebury Public Works employees and the Waterbury Police Department for their alertness and assistance.
