Cops: Teenager Steals $2,230, Jewelry, Gift Cards from Home

A 16-year-old Darien boy, according to Darien police, admitted he'd entered a house on Holmes Avenue while the family was away and stole various items and $2,230 in cash — most of which he said he gave away.

Police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the matter:

The boy had heard from a friend that the family was away and the friend knew someone who was watching the house. The boy then went to the house on Thursday, April 19, and entered it through a locked door.

He took a gold-colored bangle bracelet, $25 gift cards, a business card, four sets of cufflinks valued at $60 a set, a Coach brand wallet, costume-jewelry ear rings, two necklaces, a Seiko watch, and the cash. He said he gave away nearly all of the jewelry and most of the cash.

The husband and wife who lived in the house returned two days later, on Saturday, April 21, and reported the crime to police. The house wasn't ransacked, but the couple discovered various items missing — and the residence was secure when they arrived, they told police.

On April 28, the boy's father went to police and turned over some items he'd found on his son which he thought may have been stolen. Among them was the gold-colored bangle bracelet and some $25 gift cards, along with a business card of one of the victims.

Police met with the victims and the wife was able to identify those items. On May 5, police spoke with the boy, who confessed to the burglary.

The boy was charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree larceny. His case is being handled by Juvenile Court in Stamford.