A group of teens stopped at a Naugatuck Cumberland Farms Wednesday afternoon, bought a tank of gas and drove off, police said. What's concerning is that the car wasn't theirs – it belonged to ICES, Inc., a group that works with the disabled.
Police said the ICES employee had left the van, clearly marked with "carrying school children," when the teens took it.
"I don’t think the kids even probably looked at that, but it’s scary to think that somebody could have possibly been in that car," said Edie Hart, a customer at the gas station.
The car did have a tracking device, which led police to a condo complex on Shirley Street in Waterbury. They found four teens in yet another stolen vehicle, police said.
"There were four people in the car. All four fled on foot in different directions. After a foot pursuit, two of them were captured," said Waterbury Deputy Police Chief Chris Corbett. The captured teens were arrested and charged with third-degree larceny and interfering with an officer, Corbett said.
Police identified one of the teens as Tyquai Young, 18. The 16-year-old arrested was not publicly identified.
Police believe the teens may be connected to other thefts in the area.
"We expect to file additional charges against the two suspects that were arrested yesterday, and we also expect to arrest additional people," said Corbett. "We do believe they are involved in a stolen car ring here in the greater Waterbury area."
Police are investigating thefts in Cheshire, Wolcott, Ansonia and Naugatuck.
Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut