A man wanted in connection with attempted larceny, who is also a suspect in several other incidents, was apprehended by West Hartford Police Friday.

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police cornered and apprehended a male suspect Friday who fled officers and was hiding under a car in the Whole Foods parking garage on Raymond Road.

Capt. Michael Perruccio said that officers were dispatched to West Side Wines, located at 10 Raymond Rd., at 12:19 p.m. on June 7 after receiving a call from an employee of the store in connection with possible fraud.

According to Perruccio, a customer had previously called in orders for $441.60 on May 31, and for $341.32 on June 1, and paid for both orders over the phone using two different credit cards. Both times the customer told the store employee that his cousin would pick up the order within the hour.

The May 31 and June 1 credit card transactions were initially approved, but on June 7 West Side Wines was notified by their bank that both transactions had been marked as fraudulent.

Perruccio said that when the same man called at 12:15 p.m. on June 7, and ordered $284.94 worth of products, a West Side Wines employee notified police. That time the credit card transaction – made with a different card than the two that had been used previously – was declined and police were waiting in the store when the “cousin” came to pick up the order.

According to Perruccio, a man came into the store, stared at the two officers, and approached the clerk and shook his hand. The clerk, who told police it was the same man who had picked up the two previous orders, asked the man if he was there to pick up an order.

While police were watching, the man said he was not there for that reason and instead began talking with the clerk about red wine, and then quickly left the store.

Officers called out to the man, Perruccio said, asking him to confirm that his name matched the name that had been given with the order, and the suspect “began sprinting through the parking lot toward Whole Foods.”

Officers flooded the area – which is within sight of the West Hartford Police Station – and found the suspect hiding under a car in the parking garage under Whole Foods.

Noel Chadwick, 20, of Corbin Avenue in New Britain, faces charges of of conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny, criminal attempt to commit sixth-degree larceny, and interfering with an officer resulting from the June 7 incident.

The case remains under investigation, and Chadwick could face additional charges stemming from the May 31 and June 1 incidents, Perruccio said.

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