Police Blotter for March 29: $25K in Jewelry Stolen in Burglary on Putting Green Road

The Fairfield Police Department's press briefing on Tuesday included the following cases. Arrest information does not indicate a conviction.

A jewelry box containing jewelry valued at $25,000 was reported stolen from a house on Putting Green Road in Fairfield during a burglary on Monday.

Entry was gained by kicking in a back door and the burglary took place sometime between 8:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., police said. Jewelry also was stolen from a dresser drawer, police said.

Police said they have a lead on the crime from a resident who noticed a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee in the driveway and a white man with dark hair, from five feet, eight inches to five feet, 10 inches tall, about 190 pounds and wearing a dark hat and jacket walking back and forth by the east side of the house during the timeframe when the burglary took place.

A 23-year-old Stratford man accused of stealing a shear cutter from The Home Depot in Fairfield Monday morning was arrested after a loss prevention officer detained him.

Javoni Patton, of Woodend Road, was charged with sixth-degree larceny. He also was charged with operating a vehicle with a suspended license and parking in a handicapped space, police said.

Police said a loss prevention officer at The Home Depot saw Patton open a package containing the shear cutter, valued at $14, and conceal it in one of his pockets about 11:18 a.m. Patton then walked past the registers without paying for the merchandise, police said.

Patton was held in lieu of $500 bond and was scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on April 12, police said.

Driver's-side tires on a 2010 Chrysler were reported stolen from Avis Rent-a-Car on the Post Road in Fairfield after the thief opened the trunk and used a tire jack to prop up the car, police said.

The two tires, valued at a total of $800, were stolen sometime between 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 a.m. Monday. Police said the thief put a spare tire on the car to replace the rear driver's-side tire he stole and then left the car propped up on a jack after he stole the front driver's-side tire. The car had been unlocked, which enabled the thief to pop the trunk open, police said.

A package containing a fleece jacket valued at $18 was reported stolen from the front porch of a house on Quincy Street in Fairfield sometime between 5 p.m. Feb. 24 and 11:59 p.m. Feb. 28. The theft was reported to police at 2:52 p.m. Monday.

A 21-year-old Fairfield motorist accused of nearly striking a patrol officer driving on Fairfield Woods Road in Fairfield early Tuesday was charged with driving under the influence and failure to drive right.

Police said Dennis Gallo, of Toll House Lane, was driving east on Fairfield Woods Road about 1:29 a.m. when he crossed the double-yellow lines and nearly struck the driver's-side door of a patrol car heading west. The patrol officer turned his cruiser around and stopped Gallo, police said.

Police said Gallo failed field sobriety tests. He was held in lieu of $100 bond and was taken to Bridgeport Superior Court on Tuesday, police said.