AWESOME JOB H.P.D,.

It usually isn't a good thing when my phone rings early in the morning and wakes me up. Friday was one of those days. My phone rand and it was a firefighter from Engine 5 on Sigourney Street, ( I have to apologize here for not getting his name , but I was still half asleep.)

Any way, he said that he had been cleaning up papers outside the firehouse and found a binder that belonged to me and it had my business card in it. Now since i used that leather binder for business, I kept it in my car, so as the fog started to clear, I realized that my binder being on the lawn of Engine 5"s house wasn't a good thing.

Someone had broken into my car.




Surveillance video of Denzil Nurse throwing a wrench at my car's window repeatedly until the glass finally broke so he could climb into my car. When confronted with the video by HPD Detectives, Nurse apparently admitted to upwards of 25 car breaks over the last few weeks


Sure enough, I went outside and the pile of glass on the driveway of what used to previously have been my driver side rear window wasn't starting my day off.well. Several electronics items were missing and i walked over to Engine 5 and got my binder back.

Then the process of being a victim began. Call the police, call the insurance company, being told by the GEICO claim rep that they could have someone out in a week, next Friday to repair the glass right in my driveway so it would be convenient for me. The thoughts started running through my mind, why? why? why?

My walkbeat Officer for the area, Officer Zweibelson, showed up and took the report, took a blood stained hat ( the thief apparently cut himself pretty good as evidenced by the blood in the car and on the hat)and the wrench the thief threw through my window to break the glass as evidence  and took the necessary information they routinely get from victims .

I knew that the blood DNA on the hat wasn't going very far, even DNA from homicides is backlogged at the lab. But it did make me feel a little better that somewhere out there a thief was not only running around with my electronics, but hopefully he was feeling a little pain from his lacerations.

Fortunately I have security cameras watching my driveway and the video clearly showed him committing his crime at 5:16am. He wasn't very skilled, it took him several attempts to break the glass, (the wrench kept bouncing off the glass) but there he was, clearly making me Hartford's latest victim.

I found a local vendor who was here a lot quicker than GEICO's convenient one week to repair the glass(Pete's Auto Glass from Grant Street in Hartford 860-543-2337) They were here quickly and did a great job of repairing the window. The thief was smart enough to know that the alarm would have gone off if he opened the door, so he just smashed the window out. Unfortunately when he climbed through the window, his belt buckle left a few deep scratches in the paint. Oh well, at least I got him to leave some blood behind as payment.

I figured that was the end of it until about 1:30PM when Officer Zweibelson called me and said they had just apprehended a suspect at Main and Gold Streets downtown. They needed a copy of the video to be sure, but he felt comfortable the clothing matched and it was the right guy.

Apparently, the thief was observed breaking into another car at the Mark Twain House and their security people followed him to the bus stop where they called the police and gave the police the bus number he got on.
Zweibelson, Officer Adam Demein and Officer Chanaca were waiting for the suspect as he stepped off the bus near City Hall. He had several cell phone car chargers and electronics cords in his possession

None of my property was on him, but apparently he was a suspect in upwards of a dozen car breaks around the City. A one man crime spree, really affecting the quality of life in Hartford.

The suspect was taken to the Major Crimes Division where he was being interviewed and when confronted with my video, he apparently began talking to investigators.

I am still not thrilled that I was  a victim, but I am extremely impressed by the response from everyone involved and the cooperation from all parties involved to get this slug off the street . All of the Officers I dealt with were either walkbeats or CSO"S which just shows the importance and the impact these Officer's have on our Community

A great job by all, My sincerest thanks

HARTFORD POLICE PRESS RELEASE

Hartford Police in the Central District have made an arrest in numerous car breaks and electronic thefts in the Downtown, Asylum Hill and West End neighborhoods. The suspect was captured this afternoon after a security guard witnessed him smash a car window on Asylum St. downtown, enter the vehicle, steal an iPod and flea. The security guard followed the suspect and contacted HPD. Central District Officers quickly apprehended the accused: Denzil Nurse, 41 of Hartford, on Main St. Several members of the community have come forward with video and security footage of Nurse over the past several weeks and days.

HPD Deputy Chief Neville Brooks, of the Central District (Downtown, Asylum Hill and West Neighborhoods) would like to thank the community members who have stepped forward to assist in the investigation, as well as the dedication of the officers assigned to the Central District and private security guards.

Nurse has 27 arrests in the City of Hartford and an extensive Burglary history. Investigators believe he is responsible for a significant rash of car break thefts in the three neighborhoods. Investigators estimate he is responsible for 25-35 car breaks over the last several weeks. Nurse is immediately being booked and charged with Burglary 3^rd, Criminal Mischief 3^rd, and Larceny in the 6^th. The Major Crimes Division is assisting in the investigation. Officers and Detectives will be applying for several more arrest warrants in the next few days. Call Foley with inquiries, Garcia available.