TORRINGTON -- A local man who ransacked the H.R. Madeux Insurance Agency on Wednesday and stole a myriad of items to sell for cash was charged in the burglary and later for drug possession after officers found a four-foot-tall marijuana plant growing at his house, police said.
Lt. Michael Emanuel said James Mitchell, 61, of 66 James St., was caught in the area of the insurance agency at 497 Main Street after police responded at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a burglary in process.
Police discovered that Mitchell entered the building by tearing an air conditioner from a window. Once inside he searched for valuables, police said. Some of the stolen items included a Pete Rose signed Cincinnati Reds jersey, money, lamps, monitors, but no computers, a vacuum, bottles of wine, jewelry and office equipment, police said.
The stolen items have all been recovered and no personal data of clients was taken, police said. "The target was money and items that could possibly be converted to quick cash," Emanuel said. "Mitchell did damage to all areas of the office."
Before police arrived Mitchell took the stolen goods to an area behind a Prospect Street residence with a plan to pick them up later, police said.
Mitchell's plan was thwarted when a witness saw him carring a vacuum cleaner across the street and saw him throwing things over the fence behind the insurance agency, police said.
After detaining Mitchell at the scene of the burglary, police, with a warrant, searched his home where they found more items stolen from the insurance agency. While there they also found the four-foot-tall marijuana plant.
Mitchell, held on a $25,000 bond for arraignment in Bantam Superior Court today, is charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of marijuana, cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a school.
Police said Mitchell was also arrested Aug. 6 for breach of peace and first-degree criminal trespass and on Aug. 12 for sixth-degree larceny, in other cases.
↧