Two men were arrested in Berlin late Friday night after police said they broke into a man’s home, stole his wallet and keys and took off in his car.
According to Deputy Chief Drew Gallupe, a Berlin resident on New Britain Road reported a burglary around 11:38 p.m. When officers arrived, the resident told them he was awoken by the sound of two men running out his door. The men reportedly forced their way into the home through a window, took his wallet and keys.
“The suspects got into the victim’s vehicle in his driveway and began to drive away when the victim jumped on the hood to try and stop them. He was ejected from the hood as the suspects drove away. The victim received only minor injuries from striking the ground,” Gallupe said in a release.
The man’s credit card was used shortly after the theft, Berlin Police determined.
Hartford police reportedly stopped the vehicle at around 3:30 a.m. and Berlin officers responded and arrested two men. Robert Cotton, 32, and Matthew O’Connor, 32, were charged with burglary, vehicle theft and reckless endangerment. They were held on $25,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court Monday.
According to Gallupe, there were two other people in the vehicle when police stopped it. They were not arrested. The suspects claimed the vehicle belonged to a relative and they were retrieving it for them, police said.