Car Stolen, Another Burglarized

One car was stolen and another was burglarized during the overnight hours of Friday, Nov. 20, Darien Police report. Both incidents occurred on Sunswyck Lane.

Shortly after 7 a.m., police received report from a resident that their 2006 BMW 750 Li was stolen from the driveway. The keys had been left inside the car which was left unlocked. A cell phone was also left in the car.

A Sunswyck resident reported that she'd noticed that car was missing from her neighbor's driveway at 12:30 this morning. Police believe the car to have been stolen before then, and a neighborhood canvas is ongoing.

Police found a second motor vehicle “dumped” across the street, when they arrived on the scene shortly after 7 a.m. They say that car, a Subaru with Connecticut registration and plates, was reported stolen from Greenwich last week.

“The offender or offenders dumped the vehicle across the street and drove away in the BMW,” said Sergeant Jeramiah Johnson of the Darien Police. 

A second Sunswyck resident reported a motor vehicle burglary. While the car had been entered, nothing was taken. Police say that the entry constitutes a burglary.

Since the arrest of Frank Keller (the man charged with over seven burglaries in Darien and New Canaan), Darien Police continue to receive numerous of reports car burglaries. It was less than two weeks ago, that one car was stolen and an additional 17 were burglarized during the overnight hours. Police say it is doubtful that the burglaries are all pinned to a single suspect; instead, they are investigating different “sets of suspects.”

“It’s not one particular offender but it appears to be a common pattern of motor vehicle burglaries, where people are trying to get valuables from unlocked cars,” said Johnson. “That’s what happened a couple weekends ago, and that’s what happened today.”

Johnson said there is no clear connection between the Nov. 7 rash of car burglaries, and this morning’s incident; the investigation is ongoing.

Lieutenant Thomas Krois of the Darien Police Department describes the large number of recent motor vehicle burglary reports in Darien as somewhat of a criminal trend.

“Stealing car radios was the crime of the 80s,” said Krois. “Now it’s stealing valuables.”

To date, Darien victims of car burglary have reported a number of missing valuables: GPS systems, jewelry, CDs, silver platters, loose change, food, cigarettes, iPods and—most recently—a bottle of rum.

“Lock your car everytime, everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or out shopping. These are clearly crimes of opportunity, and if you want to avoid being a victim, you’ve got a responsibility to help the police by locking your car,” said Johnson.

Police urge residents to report any and all suspicious activity to the police.

“We want to be informed. Sometimes people don’t call, because they’re embarrassed or nothing was taken. It’s important that they do call. It helps us narrow down what happened and when. And we may be able to get fingerprints. “

Contact Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson of the DPD Patrol Division at 203-662- 5300 or jjohnson@darienct.gov.

From the DPD’s website, some precaution tips:

• Always lock your doors
• Always close your windows
• Never leave your vehicle running unattended
• Park in well-lit, visible areas
• Park in your garage when possible
• Always remove your valuables or at least secure them in your trunk