Police Blotter: Cupid Can't Quash Crime

The following information was provided by the Darien Police Department:

Monday, Feb. 8

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION: Robert Dudley, 43 of Stamford, attempted to dodge the law and wound up under lock and key. Police stopped Dudley on the Post Road near Sedgewick Ave. for driving without a front license plate. He had no car insurance and no Driver's license to present; his license had been suspended. Dudley gave his uncle's date of birth, an attempt that Dudley hoped would reduce his bond. No such luck. Police say Dudley has a criminal history that includes failure to appear. He was charged with criminal impersonation, interfering with an officer, driving without car insurance and with a suspended license, misuse of plates and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. Bond was set at $10,000, which Dudley could not post. He spent the night in the cells on Hecker Ave. before his court date the following morning.

Saturday, Feb. 13

POSESSION OF MARIJUANA: Zulu, the Darien Police K-9, helped sniff out 8.8 grams of marijuana Saturday afternoon—a discovery that led to a 19-year-old's arrest. Takai Wooton, 19, of Norwalk was one of two passengers in the 2000 Jeep Cherokee that Officer Nick Aranzullo noticed cruising down Middlesex Road without a front license plate. Aranzullo instructed the three men to get out of the car after detecting odor of marijuana. When questioned, Wooton said he had some marijuana in his jacket. Zulu "did a little search," said Captain Fred Komm. The canine hit on Wooton's jacket pocket, and in it: a clear baggie containing 8.8 grams of marijuana. Wooton was arrested for possession. He has a court date of Feb. 23.

As for the operator who was driving without a front plate, no charges were pressed.

"We were feeling nice," said Capt. Komm.

Sunday, Feb. 14

MOTOR VEHICLE BURGLARY: A burglar—or team of burglars—bucked the spirit of Valentine's Day, and broke into two cars parked near the Darien Train Station.

The first report came in at about noon on Feb. 14, from a Massachusetts woman who said she had left her 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, locked and alarmed, in the Leroy West parking lot on Friday, Feb. 12 at about 5 p.m. When she returned on Sunday, the driver's window had been smashed. She told police she might have had her checkbook stolen; her Christmas CD collection, though, is definitely gone.

Police received a second car burglary report on Valentine's evening, from a Terryville resident who had parked her 2002 GMC Yukon in the private Koons parking lot next to the train station on the morning of Friday, Feb. 12. When she returned to the car at about 7 p.m. on Sunday evening, she discovered the front passenger window had been smashed, and her FM radio transmitter stolen.

Police believe the two incidents to be related.

MOTOR VEHICLE CRIMES: A twenty-six year old Stamford, initially stopped by police for driving with faulty brake lights, now faces a slew of charges that include possession of stolen license plate, misuse of plates, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with defective brake lights, driving without motor vehicle insurance, driving with a suspended license and interfering with an officer.

Elmer Bonilla was traveling west on the Post Road near the Norwalk town line just before 9 a.m., when he was pulled over by Darien police. His 1994 Honda Civic had defective brake lights. Police soon discovered the car was unregistered and the license plates had been stolen. Bonilla was driving with a suspended license and without car insurance. "He played games too," said Captain Komm of Bonilla, who first claimed to have recently purchased the stolen plates, and then gave "a bogus name." Bonilla was brought down to the station on Hecker Ave. as "Daniel Jimenes," but a fingerprint scan soon proved that identification false. Bonilla said he gave a false name because he was scared. Bonilla is being held on $10,000 bond and has a court date of Tuesday, Feb. 16.