Police Blotter for July 26: Shoplifting Leads to Weapons Charges

Monday's press briefing at the Fairfield Police Department included the following cases:

A 23-year-old employee at The Home Depot in Fairfield, accused of shoplifting $469 worth of tools, was arrested on larceny and weapons charges Friday after police said officers found a loaded Sturm Ruger .380-caliber handgun, two boxes of ammunition and a large knife in his car.

John Koch IV, of Far Horizon Drive in Shelton, was charged with sixth-degree larceny, third-degree forgery and two counts of weapons in a motor vehicle. He was released on $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Aug. 3 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

Police said Koch put an air compressor, saw blades and a framing square in a push cart and left the store without paying for the merchandise about 2:16 p.m. Koch asked officers if he could get medication out of his car, and, when he did, officers saw the weapons, police said.

Police said Koch said he needed the gun to protect himself from his girlfriend's ex-husband.

An 18-year-old Milford resident, whom police said was slumped over the wheel of a sports utility vehicle parked by the Sky Huka Lounge on Kings Highway East in Fairfield early Saturday, was arrested on charges of possession of narcotics and possession of alcohol by a minor in a motor vehicle.

Eric Tortora, of Housatonic Drive, was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court Aug. 5, police said.

Police said a patrol officer saw Tortora slumped over the wheel of the SUV about 12:26 a.m. and that five grams of marijuana, 15 cans of beer and a bottle of vodka were inside the car.

A 38-year-old Bridgeport man was arrested on a charge of sixth-degree larceny by possession Saturday afternoon after police said a patrol officer saw him riding a bicycle on the wrong side of Brooklawn Avenue in Fairfield and then saw him ditch the bike and retrieve it after the patrol car drove by.

Lonnie Jackson, of Coleman Street, was held in lieu of $1,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court Aug. 3, police said.

Jackson told officers he bought the bike for $25 from people in Bridgeport. The bike was valued at $450 and had been stolen from an unlocked garage on Edison Avenue in Fairfield that day, police said.

The incident took place about 5:38 p.m., police said.

A 23-year-old Bridgeport woman accused of throwing rocks at the car of her son's father early Monday was charged with breach of peace. The father of her son, who called police, also was arrested because he had two active arrest warrants out of Westport for violation of probation, police said.

Jia Khan, of Main Street, the accused rock thrower, was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court Monday. Bond on Christopher Douze, 24, of Davis Road in Fairfield, wasn't available, but he also went to court Monday, police said.

Police said Khan went to Douze's home on Davis Road, got into an argument with him and threw rocks at his car. Douze told officers Khan also threw rocks at his house, police said.

Khan was upset because she found a text message on Douze's phone from another woman, police said.

The incident happened about 4:51 a.m. Khan's stepmother responded to the scene and took custody of Khan's and Douze's 3-month-old son, police said.

A 29-year-old Bridgeport motorist accused of nearly striking a building on Commerce Drive in Fairfield early Sunday was charged with operating under the influence and failure to obey a traffic signal.

Hector Gonazalez, of Park Street, was released on $100 bond and was scheduled to appear Aug. 9 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

Police said Gonzalez failed to stop at a flashing red traffic light at the corner of Chambers Street and Commerce Drive about 2:48 a.m. He failed field sobriety tests after an officer pulled him over at the corner of Commerce Drive and Brentwood Avenue, police said.

Twenty-five feet of copper gutters valued at $1,400 were reported stolen from the east side of Calvin United Church on Kings Highway East in Fairfield sometime between July 4 and Sunday. Two other copper gutters had been stolen from the west side of the church several weeks ago, police said. The theft was reported to police about 10 a.m. Sunday, police said.

A counterfeit $100 bill was passed at Dairy Queen on the Post Road in Fairfield about 12:24 p.m. Sunday, police said.

A backpack leaf blower valued at $200 was reported stolen from an unlocked garage on Andrassy Avenue in Fairfield sometime during the past week. The theft was reported to police at 8:01 a.m. Monday, police said.