On Thursday, May 23, 2024, Trumbull Police served an arrest warrant on a Waterbury man following a lengthy police investigation into the theft of purse from a vehicle that occurred in January. Detectives identified the suspect as Samuel Lopez, age 26, of West Grove Street, Waterbury, who was in the custody of the Department of Corrections for unrelated crimes and was now being charged for his actions regarding this purse theft.
On January 5, 2024, at approximately 6:30 PM, Trumbull Police were called to investigate a purse theft from a car that was parked outside of a business at 5893 Main St. while the owner entered a nearby business. Upon their return, their vehicle’s door was ajar, and their purse had been stolen from the seat.
Trumbull Police detectives investigated and observed surveillance footage showing a white Mercedes park next to the victim’s vehicle, and the suspect exited the Mercedes, and stole the purse from the victim’s unlocked vehicle before leaving the area. Detectives eventually learned that the Mercedes had been privately rented by Lopez during the time of the theft.
Lopez was charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, Larceny in the Third Degree and was held on a $25,000 bond where he was arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court.