A teen male, who had also been arrested in town last month, has been apprehended by West Hartford Police and charged with burglary and attempted burglary.

By Ronni Newton

A 15-year-old male, one of two suspects who was interrupted by a resident while he was entering a West Hartford home, was taken into custody early Wednesday morning after he was successfully tracked by a West Hartford Police K-9 team.

West Hartford Police said they received a report at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday about a residential burglary in progress at 185 Simsbury Rd.

According to police, the resident said that two males entered the home and took keys to cars that were parked outside, but fled on foot when they were interrupted by the homeowner.

The homeowner confirmed to We-Ha.com that the door to the home was unlocked and a resident was inside, watching TV, with the light on. The keys were in a bowl near the door, the homeowner said in a Facebook post.

A West Hartford Police K-9 unit, along with other officers, responded to the scene. The K-9 successfully tracked the suspect into Bloomfield and then back to West Hartford where he was apprehended by in front of 57 Timberwood Rd., police said.

The suspect was a juvenile, and has been identified only as a 15-year-old male from Hartford. Police said the juvenile sustained a dog bite to the right hip from the K-9, which was treated at the scene by emergency responders.

Police said that it appears that the same suspect was involved in entering a total of four vehicles in the area, three on Simsbury Road and one on Brownleigh Road, all of which were unlocked.

The suspect has been charged with second-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit second-degree burglary, four counts of third-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, and interfering with police.

He was released to the custody of his parents.

West Hartford Police Capt. Michael Perruccio said that the suspect was not charged with home invasion in this case because “the elements of the crime of home invasion, based on the statute, do not apply in this particular case.” Home invasion (Sec. 53a-100aa) is a Class A felony and is defined as follows: “(a) A person is guilty of home invasion when such person enters or remains unlawfully in a dwelling, while a person other than a participant in the crime is actually present in such dwelling, with intent to commit a crime therein, and, in the course of committing the offense: (1) Acting either alone or with one or more persons, such person or another participant in the crime commits or attempts to commit a felony against the person of another person other than a participant in the crime who is actually present in such dwelling, or (2) such person is armed with explosives or a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.”

The charge of second-degree burglary, which is a Class C felony, according to statute applies when a burglary takes place when a dwelling is occupied, among other situations.

West Hartford Police said they previously arrested the same teen in April, for being in possession of a stolen GPS and car keys that did not belong to him.

The second suspect is still at large, police said, and the case is still under active investigation. Police said that “further charges may be forthcoming.”

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