West Hartford Police obtained video of a suspect attempting to enter several cars, and another video recorded the same day showed the same suspect stealing a car.

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police said “Ring” surveillance video being reviewed through an officer-initiated effort clearly shows a suspect trying to enter several cars parked in a driveway on Berkshire Road.

Screenshot of Ring video obtained by West Hartford Police shows what appears to be a male suspect holding a handgun attempting to open the door of one of several vehicles parked in a Berkshire Road driveway. The suspect was seen on video fleeing in a black SUV. Courtesy of West Hartford Police

The suspect visible in the video, which was recorded just before 10 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13 according to the time and date stamp, appears to be holding a black handgun.

The video can be viewed here.

The suspect who is wearing a navy blue “Champion” brand sweatshirt and blue jeans, and is described by police as a light-skinned male, was not able to successfully enter any of the vehicles in the driveway, but was seen entering the driver’s side of a black SUV and leaving the scene before police arrived.

Through their review of the video, police determined where the attempted car burglaries had taken place and alerted the vehicle owners, Capt. Eric Rocheleau said. The vehicle owners had previously been unaware of the incident.

Police were also alerted an hour later on Monday that a vehicle had been stolen across town on Vardon Road.

Video viewed by police in that case shows the same suspect trying to burglarize four cars parked in a driveway, and the same black SUV involved.

One of the Vardon Road vehicles had been left unlocked, with the keys inside, police said, and was subsequently stolen by the suspect. None of the other vehicles were entered or damaged, police said.

According to police, video shows the suspect appearing to hold a black handgun in the second video as well.

No one was injured in either of the cases and police are continuing their investigation.

Police are reminding residents to lock their vehicles and safeguard their valuables. If a crime is observed in progress, police said, members of the public should not intervene but rather should contact police immediately.

The West Hartford Police Department is participating in the Video Sharing Program, a voluntary registry that helps identify possible criminal activity that may have been captured on home video systems. Click here to register for the program.

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