#Middlebury #Police
Middlebury Police Chief Fran Dabbo reports officers made an arrest in a case involving the theft of power tools and scrap copper pipes. Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, at approximately 3:27 p.m., Officers Ron Pruchnicki and George Slaiby were dispatched to a Three Mile Hill home on a burglary complaint. The home is in the process of being renovated.
One of the homeowners went to check the home and retrieve items that had to be returned to the store early in the morning. He found everything to be normal. Later in the day, one of the other owners went to check the property and discovered the burglary. Both owners searched the home and discovered some of their tools and some scrap copper pipes were missing. They noticed the front door was damaged from some type of pry bar. Several DeWalt power tools and drill bits and a Milwaukee expansion tool were taken.
Due to what was taken and what was left behind, mainly the tools that did not work, they suspected one of their helpers, Frank Turrell, 35, from Plantsville was the individual who broke into the home and took the tools. The homeowners knew Turrell was at 329 Thomaston Ave. in Waterbury.
Sgt. Pat Deely and Officer Pruchnicki went to the Thomaston Avenue location to interview Turrell. At that location, the officers observed Turrell’s brother standing at the rear of a silver Ford Focus looking at several tools that were on the ground. The homeowners immediately identified the tools as their stolen tools.
Frank Turrell came out of the building and approached the officers and his brother. Frank stated he was sorry he stole the tools and copper piping from the home. He was then placed under arrest and charged with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree larceny, and third-degree criminal mischief. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in the Waterbury court on Jan. 31.
