North Canaan residents urged to lock car doors after theft attempts

“Working together and staying alert helps keep our communities safe.”
Spencer Bronson, North Canaan Resident Trooper

NORTH CANAAN – Residents in North Canaan are being urged to lock their cars and keep keys inside after a number of attempted car thefts were caught on camera in the early-morning hours of Thursday, May 7. Despite several documented attempts, no vehicles were reported stolen.

Attempted thefts were reported on Casey Hill Road, Allyndale Road and Pease Street, according to First Selectman Jesse Bunce, who said the suspects appeared to target higher-end vehicles, like an Audi and an electric BMW.

Video footage from a Ring camera shared on Facebook shows a vehicle driving through a residential neighborhood before a hooded person dressed in dark clothing jumps out, checks the driver-side door of a BMW and quickly returns to the car when it is found locked. The encounter lasted only a few seconds.

North Canaan Resident Trooper Spencer Bronson urged residents to “remain vigilant and take a few simple precautions to help prevent thefts from vehicles.”

Bronson said residents should make locking vehicle doors part of their nightly routine. He said locking vehicle doors, removing valuables from plain sight and keeping exterior lights on when possible can prevent crimes from occurring.

He also urged residents to contact Troop B immediately if they witness any suspicious behavior.

“Working together and staying alert helps keep our communities safe,” he said.

Bunce also urged people to keep car key fobs inside and far enough away from vehicles that they cannot be detected remotely.

He said the incidents resemble a string of thefts that occurred in North Canaan roughly two years ago and were linked to suspected gang activity. During that spree, Town Clerk Krysti Segalla’s vehicle was stolen from her driveway after it was left unlocked with the key fob inside.

Segalla said the theft happened while she was pregnant, just one day after her baby shower. The vehicle was later traced to Waterbury, Connecticut, where authorities identified a group of teenage suspects. She recovered the car two days later.

“It smelled like weed, there were joints inside and my child’s toys were gone from the back seat,” Segalla said.

She said she was later given the opportunity to recommend jail time or a corrective program for the teenagers and chose the latter, writing them a letter encouraging them to change course.

“There’s still time to change your lives around,” she recalled writing.

Bunce said he believes North Canaan is a target because it is generally viewed as a quiet community.

“That’s why they come here and pick on us,” he said. Bunce added that younger suspects are often used in these theft operations because they are less likely to face serious penalties. Segalla noted the teenagers involved in her case were first-time offenders.

Trooper Bronson said people committing these crimes “don’t typically do it in their own towns.”

“Generally, they come from out of town,” he said, adding that no suspects have been identified in connection with last week’s incidents.

Residents are urged to report suspicious activity to Troop B at 959-228-1779.