Crime & Safety

Landscaper Charged with Car Theft; Arrest Made Car Burglaries

Information supplied by Greenwich Police and does not indicate guilt or convictions.

A landscaper who police said left for lunch with a Riverside homeowner's SUV and never returned, has been arrested on larceny charges.

Joseph Johnson, 24, of 890 Old Field Rd., Fairfield, was arrested July 15 after he was brought to state Superior Court in Stamford, from the Bridgeport Correctional Center where he was being held on unrelated charges. Johnson faces 1st-degree and 6th-degree larceny charges stemming from the June 2 theft of a 2006 GMC Yukon. According to Greenwich Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray, Johnson was hired as a laborer for a landsaping business working at the Hearthstone Drive home.

"He went for lunch and took off in the guy's vehicle," Gray said. The vehicle has not been recovered. Gray said Johnson is a suspect in other thefts in the area. "The detective division did a good job on this . we're going to clear a couple of other incidents in other jurisdictions. There will be warrants for burglaries," Gray added.

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Bond the charges was set at $5,000. His court date was not available.

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A suspect in a June home invasion has been arrested by Greenwich Police who obtained a warrant charging the man with 13 car burglaries in the Byram area of town.

Wickey Guy Austin McGhee, 46, of 10 Parker St., Port Chester, NY, was arrested on 13 counts of 1st-degree burglary, and one-court each of 1st-degree criminal mischief and 3rd-degree larceny on July 14. According to a Greenwich Police report, the charges stem from the burglaries of cars between April 27 and June 16. Police said they have a warrant charging a second suspect, William Haywood, 48, of 33 Lincoln Ave., New Rochelle, NY.

Each faces charges of home invasion and 1st-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of burglar tools, in connection with the June 18 incident in which the homeowner apparently scared off the intruders whose pictures were recorded on home surveillance system.

In addition to the home invasion charges, McGhee also faces 11 counts of 3rd-degree burglary and one count of 4th degree larceny, stemming from a series of car burglaries in the Byram area of Greenwich during the summer of 2009. Haywood faces similar charges and has been fighting extradition from New York State where he was arrested June 21 in New Rochelle.

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An illegal right turn ended with the arrest of a Stamford man on several charges including he was riding a stolen motorcycle.

Elvis U. Vega-Recinos, 21, of 40 High St., Stamford, was arrested just about 8 a.m. July 14 after Greenwich Police said they saw him make an illegal right turn at the intersection of Arch Street and Steamboad Road, on a blue-and-white Suzuki motorcycle. According to a Greenwich Police report, the license plate on the Suzuki was reported stolen from a Honda motorcycle in upstate Farmington and the VIN number tag on the Suzuki was reported stolen from a vehicle in New Rochelle, NY.

Vega-Recinos was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of plates, operating a motorcycle without a license, 3rd-degree larceny, 6th-degree larceny; driving a mini-bike/motorcycle on a highway, and violating license regulations.  He was released after posting $5,000 bond and scheduled to appear July 22 in state Superior Court in Stamford.

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A 19-year-old Greenwich woman was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge early Saturday by Greenwich Police investigating a report of an erratic driver on Frontage Road.

Darcy J. Trujillo, of 20 Smith St., was stopped on the Exit2 on-ramp of I-95 near Ritch Avenue about 1 a.m. Saturday. She was arrested on charges of  driving while intoxicated and failure to illuminate lights after failing field sobriety tests, according to a police report.

Trujillo was released after posting a $250 bond and was scheduled to appear July 25 in state Superior Court in Stamford.

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A driver stopped for not having a front license plate on the car he was driving was arrested for operating with a suspended license on Sunday evening.

John Lagano, 52, of 27 Havemeyer Pl., Greenwich, was arrested shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday after Greenwich Police stopped him on West Putnam Avenue. Police said Lagano's license had been suspended because of a previous conviction for driving while intoxicated.

He was released after posting $500 bond and was scheduled to appear July 25 in state Superior Court in Stamford.


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