5 Men Charged In 2 Auto Theft-Related Cases In Windsor Locks

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — Windsor Locks police were kept busy early this week, corralling three stolen SUV suspects from Windsor in one case, and a pair of Hartford men suspected of stealing tires and rims from vehicles in another.

Around 5:30 p.m. Monday, police received a call of suspicious persons exiting and running away from a silver Jeep on Dexter Rd. The caller described the men and noted a Texas plate on the vehicle. Officers saw the vehicle, a gray 2006 Jeep Commander, appeared to be disabled with front axle damage. The Texas dealer plate was a forgery and the vehicle was listed as stolen out of Norwich, Lt. Paul Cherniack said.

Police canvassed the area and located one suspect in the area of Main and Webb Streets. Two others matching the descriptions were spotted attempting to elude police by running through yards and behind buildings in the area. Officers converged and pursued each of them until two were apprehended. A canine unit arrived and conducted a search, resulting in the apprehension of a third man, Cherniack said.

The three men arrested, all from Windsor, were Tavaj Shakur Daley, 18; Trayvon Jordan Prude, 19; and Nnamdi Smart Huchinson, 19. Each was charged with second-degree larceny, second-degree criminal trover and interfering with police. Bail was set at $25,000 apiece.

For several months, Windsor Locks police and neighboring departments have investigated a series of tire and rim thefts from vehicles. The incidents often involved a Toyota Highlander as the suspect vehicle. The last incident occurred in Windsor Locks on March 25, Cherniack said.

Around 1:07 a.m. Tuesday, a Windsor Locks officer was on patrol in the Route 75 area, where many of the prior thefts have occurred. The officer spotted a white Toyota Highlander, matching the description of the suspect vehicle, turning onto Route 75 from Spring Hill Suites, and executed a traffic stop and detained the two men inside, Cherniack said.

Four Nissan rims and tires were found inside the Highlander, along with a jack and lug wrench. Police found a Nissan with the rims and tires missing at the nearby Fairfield Inn, Cherniack said.

Daniel Melendez, 23, and Bryant Serrano, 23, both of Hartford, were charged with fourth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit fourth-degree larceny.

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