Two bumbling thieves are behind bars after one dropped his identification in the victim’s home, then the getaway driver got stuck on some ice, giving witnesses time to jot down the licence plate number.
“As this guy is running to the car, the getaway car, the suspect is yelling ‘go, go, go,’” said Sgt. Matthew D’Asti with Windsor police. “So buddy jumps into the passenger seat. The getaway driver is hammering on the accelerator, but they’re on ice. They are not moving. Spinning their tires. The witnesses there are saying there was ample time to walk up to the vehicle and get the plate information, which they did.”
A homeowner in the 2600 block of Norman Road was asleep around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, which what sounded like clattering dishes woke him up.
He got out of bed and went into the living room, where he found a man in the process of stealing a gaming console. Police said the thief got into the house by smashing glass in the front door.
The 28-year-old victim started toward the burglar.
“The suspect turns around and punches the homeowner in the face, knocks him down,” said D’Asti. “Then he takes off out the front of the house.”
The homeowner looked out the window to see a green station wagon parked in front of his house with the four-way flashers on. The thief was running to the car yelling at his partner to drive. As he was running, he dropped a bag.
“When the guy was fleeing the house, he dropped his duffel bag, which had documents inside with his name on it,” said D’Asti.
The man jumped in the passenger side of the car and his partner hit the gas pedal.
“He gets in and he’s not even moving, just stationary spinning their wheels,” said D’Asti. “The guy finally, with difficulty, gets down the street and takes off.”
The victim called police. Officers arrived and took down the licence plate number, then went to the registered owner’s home. It was a woman.
“She said my boyfriend has the car with one of his friends,” said D’Asti.
Around 7 p.m., officers found the car parked in the 300 block of Glengarry Avenue. They set up surveillance and waited.
“The suspects end up coming to the car, they get in,” said D’Asti. “We block them in and they were arrested without incident.”
In the car, police found property stolen from different homes, including a laptop and other electronics.
“Some of the property had labels with a name on it,” said D’Asti. “Our guys contacted the guy that was labeled on it, and he’d just been broken into in the 3400 block of Church.”
Police are still trying to find the owners to some other recovered items.
Cody Carrington, 24, of Windsor, is charged with twocounts of break and enter, three counts of possession of stolen property, and one count of Robbery.
David Surtees, 41, is charged with two counts of break and enter and three counts of possession of stolen property.
