Shoplifter Threatened Home Depot Security: North Haven Police

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A Bridgeport man is accused of telling a security officer he had AIDS and would stab them with a needle during a shoplifting incident at The Home Depot in North Haven last month, according to police.

Police responded to Home Depot at 111 Universal Dr. on Sept. 16 on the report of a robbery. Police found a man had stolen a compressor and was approached by a loss prevention officer while he was entering a vehicle.

The man “clenched his fist toward loss prevention and stated he had a needle, has AIDS, and would stab the employee,” according to police. The man then entered an older model Jeep and left the area.

Patrol units saw the Jeep and a “short pursuit ensued,” police said.

Police called off the pursuit after several minutes because of public safety concerns.

“Shortly after that, New Haven Police advised North Haven PD a vehicle matching the description of our suspect vehicle had crashed in New Haven, with 2 occupants seen fleeing the vehicle,” police wrote in a news release. “North Haven detectives responded to New Haven and confirmed the vehicle was in fact our suspect vehicle.”

Police seized the vehicle and later executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found stolen items from Home Depot inside. Through investigation, detectives identified the suspect as 38-year-old Shaun Costello of Bridgeport.

Costello was arrested Oct. 27 on a warrant after he was detained during an unrelated incident in West Haven, according to police.

He was charged with first-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny. Costello was held in lieu of a $150,000 bond. He also has other area arrest warrants / probation violation warrants, according to police.