Man Passed Out In Stolen Car Charged With Theft, Drug Charges: PD

EAST HAVEN, CT — A 38-year-old man was charged by police after he was found passed out in a stolen car that rolled into the middle of the street Monday morning, East Haven Police Department Capt. Joseph M. Murgo said.

According to Murgo, police were called to the area of John Street and Old Foxon Road early Monday morning for a report of a Honda CRV stopped in the middle of the road with the "driver appearing to be unconscious." Before cops arrived, a person had called to say that the Honda was originally in a driveway, but rolled backwards into the middle of the street. Police arrived and found a man behind the wheel "unconscious," but they woke him up.

Murgo said the man, Jonathan Barrios, who police said is homeless, gave officers a fake name and birth date but soon "admitted to lying to officers shortly thereafter because he had an active arrest warrant out of New Haven." The warrant was for violation of probation, Murgo said.

Then, after checking the car's identification number, police learned it was reported as being stolen in Bridgeport last month.

Murgo said Barrios was "removed from the vehicle and was placed under arrest."

Officers found a "facsimile firearm" on the front seat of the vehicle in plain view, a glass smoking pipe with residue, five zip lock baggies containing suspected cocaine, a wax fold containing suspected heroin, and a zip lock baggie containing marijuana, Murgo said.

Barrios was charged with third-degree larceny, having a weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia among other charges. He was held on a $5, 000 bond for the East Haven charges and $2,500 for New Haven warrant.