A West Hartford home was burglarized Monday, and both cars stolen from the driveway by the same person, police said.

Dennis Pupkowski. Courtesy of West Hartford Police

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police have charged a New Britain man with two counts of motor vehicle theft after he allegedly crashed the first car he stole from a driveway and went back to steal a second vehicle from the same residence.

Police responded to a call at 2:08 a.m. Tuesday about a motor vehicle accident with injuries, and arrived at 83 Vine Hill Rd. where they found a Ford Econoline van that had crashed through a fence and into a tree in the home’s  backyard. The driver was nowhere to be found, police said.

An investigation led police to a nearby residence at 74 Mayflower St. where not only the van but also a Volkswagen sedan had been stolen from the driveway. The house had also been burglarized, police said.

Police said they have “probable cause” that Dennis Pupkowski, 26, of New Britain, stole both the van and the sedan, and burglarized the house. During the investigation, Pupkowski arrived on the scene driving the stolen Volkswagen, police said.

The Ford Econoline sustained heavy damage to the front end, and the airbags were deployed, police said.

In addition to two counts of motor vehicle theft, Pupkowski was charged with evading responsibility, burglary, and interfering with an officer. Information about any injuries he sustained was not available.

Pupkowski is being held on $75,000 bond.

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