Suspect Has Left State—

Police Receive Warrant

For Street Sign Thefts

By Andrew Gorosko

Although police have obtained an arrest warrant for the theft of 46 street-name signs, they are having difficulty serving that warrant against the 19-year-old male suspect in the case because he has moved out of  state, police said this week.

Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik said police have received an arrest warrant from Danbury Superior Court for the man for third degree larceny, which is s felony.

But the man recently moved out of state, making it difficult for police to serve that warrant against him, the detective sergeant said. Police have declined to identify the suspect.

In more serious criminal cases, police would start extradition proceedings with other states, the detective sergeant said.

Police agencies within the state have agreements with each other to cooperate on serving warrants against suspects within the state.   

“We’re making every effort to serve it,” Det Sgt Tvardzik said of the arrest warrant for the sign thief. By the time police received the arrest warrant from the court, the suspect had moved away, he said.

The stolen signs are being held as evidence in the case until the court approves their release, he said. The green-and-white street-name signs are worth about $3,000.

On July 2, acting on details provided by an informant, police seized the 46 street-name signs that were being kept at what was then the alleged thief’s residence.

The stolen signs had been taken from places all across town, including Mt Pleasant Road, Chimney Swift Drive, Autumn Ridge Road, Chipmunk Trail, Poverty Hollow Road, Bentagrass Lane, High Rock Road, and Cedar Hill Road, among many others.

Because police must hold the stolen signs as evidence for an unspecified period, the town was expected to use other signs as replacements for the stolen signs. The signs are typically posted at street intersections.

Police have said the theft of street-name signs poses a threat to local public safety.

With street-name signs missing, it may not be apparent to police, fire, and ambulance staffers where certain streets are located when they are responding to emergency calls, which could mean that time is lost in arriving at emergencies, according to police. The town has more than 500 streets.