Two New Haven men were arrested Sunday afternoon after allegedly leading Hamden Police on a chase into New Haven and crashing the car they had allegedly stolen hours earlier into a tree.
The incident began about 1 p.m., when Hamden Police got a call from a resident who told them that he was following his own car, which had been stolen hours earlier, according to police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith.
Officer Ronald Glifort caught up with the car, which was traveling southbound on Dixwell Avenue, according to Smith, but as he tried to pull the car over, the vehicle sped off toward New Haven. Glifort followed but the pursuit was terminated at the Hamden/New Haven city line, Smith said.
But moments later, the stolen car crashed into a tree on Brewster Street in New Haven and the two people in the car fled the scene, Smith said.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Jarelle Gibbs, 18, of 4A Greenwood St., New Haven, was arrested "after a lengthy foot pursuit," Smith said.
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"Officer Michael Nawrocki’s K-9 partner “Hank” apprehended Gibbs as he was attempting to scale a fence," Smith said.
The passenger, identified as Dwayne Sayles, 19, of 481 Valley St., New Haven, was taken into custody in the area of Shelton Avenue and Bassett Street by New Haven Police, Smith said.
Both were charged with third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, criminal trover and interfering with a police officer, and Gibbs also was charged with engaging an officer in pursuit.
Criminal trover is defined as the use of personal property of another without the consent of the owner resulting in damage to or diminishing the value of the property, according to Justia.com.
Gibbs was held in lieu of $100,000 bond and is due to appear in Meriden Superior Court on February 1st.
Sayles, who is on parole, was remanded to custody, Smith said, and is scheduled to be arraigned in Meriden today.
