Killingworth Man Caught Burglarizing Vehicle Overnight: Police

WALLINGFORD, CT — A Killingworth man was arrested after police say he was caught burglarizing a vehicle early Thursday morning in Wallingford. The man is also accused of stealing items from Vertucci Automotive in a separate incident, according to Lt. Samuel Soukup.

At about 4 a.m. May 21, Wallingford police responded to a report of a person entering a resident’s vehicle on Academy Street. The resident confronted the suspect and called police, according to Soukup. The resident told police they believed a key to the vehicle had been stolen from inside the unlocked vehicle.

“Officers located a subject matching the description provided by the resident, attempting to flee the area in a rideshare vehicle, a short distance from the scene of the crime,” Soukup wrote in a news release. “He was apprehended and transported to the Wallingford Police Department.”

Avery Oscar Auer, 26, of Pond Meadow Road, Killingworth, was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and possession of less than ½ ounce of marijuana. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond with a court date of July 10.

Soukup said Auer was also charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree larceny for a separate incident at Vertucci Automotive Inc. on South Colony Road. Auer is accused of stealing automotive parts and wheels, according to Soukup. The stolen items were recovered by police.

“The Wallingford Police department urges our town’s residents to lock their vehicles, and to take valuable or sensitive property inside their homes, when their vehicle is left unoccupied,” Soukup said. “We would also ask that residents call the police department immediately when they notice suspicious vehicles/persons in their neighborhood. Often, resident’s surveillance cameras and attentive neighbors can be the key in solving these crimes.”