Newtown Home Invader Later Dies During Police Chase In Weston

By Andrew Gorosko

Newtown police said Wednesday they believe that a man who died Tuesday in Weston after the stolen vehicle he was driving crashed into a utility pole during a police chase is the same man who had stolen a different vehicle from a resident of Oak Ridge Drive on Monday.

Newtown Detective Sergeant John Cole said that Newtown police believe that Samuel Marino, 26, whose last known address was at Miry Brook Road, Danbury, stole a SUV from a woman at her home at Oak Ridge Drive on Monday.

In a home invasion at about 2:30 pm Monday, Marino entered an Oak Ridge Drive house through an open garage door, confronted a woman resident inside and demanded the keys to a SUV, which he then stole and drove off to Judd Road in Easton, where he unsuccessfully attempted to steal another vehicle from another woman, police said.

Marino also has been linked to crimes that later occurred in Stratford and Norwalk, police said.

Marino entered the house on the section of Oak Ridge Drive nearer its intersection with Eden Hill Road and sought aid in treating an apparent cut on his left forearm, police said. Marino then demanded from the woman the keys to a silver-gray 2008 Lincoln Navigator SUV, which the woman resident gave him, police said. Marino then drove away, heading toward Hattertown Road, police said.

Marino made no threat of violence, nor showed a weapon during the incident, police said. The woman was not injured but was shaken up by the episode, police said. The woman had three small children with her in the home at the time, police said.

“It could have been a whole lot worse,” police Sergeant Domenic Costello said.

Police categorized what occurred on Oak Ridge Drive as home invasion, second-degree burglary, and first-degree larceny.

Home invasion is a rare crime locally, with the last such incident having occurred in September 2002, when a New York State man was charged with armed robbery after $5,000 worth of items were stolen at a Hawleyville Road home in Hawleyville. Following that incident, police pursued the assailant on Interstate 84 into New York State where he was later arrested.

 About 30 minutes after Marino fled the Oak Ridge Drive home on Monday, Newtown police received a report of a similar incident occurring on Judd Road in Easton. In that case, Marino unsuccessfully attempted to steal another woman’s vehicle, Sgt Costello said. There were no injuries in that incident.

About 5 pm, the man reportedly used some credit cards, which were in a purse in the stolen Lincoln, at a Home Depot in Stratford, police said. That incident was recorded on video surveillance equipment, police said.

Also, Newtown police received a report early Tuesday morning that the same man apparently again had unsuccessfully attempted to steal a vehicle in Norwalk.

The woman victim of the Monday home invasion, who requested anonymity, said, “We’re still in a little bit of shock.”

When Marino wanted the car keys, she simply provided them to him, the woman said. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Norwalk, she said.

“My husband and I were pleased with the response of the Newtown Police Department,” the woman said in complimenting the police for their actions after the home invasion. She declined further comment.

Weston Incident

State police spokesman Lieutenant J. Paul Vance said Wednesday that at the request of Weston Police Chief John Troxell, the state police’s Collision Analysis Reconstruction Squad (CARS) unit investigated a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 10:06 am on Tuesday on Route 57 in Weston.

The incident had started earlier in the day when Westport police were notified by Norwalk police that they were attempting to stop a carjacked stolen motor vehicle driven by Marino.

The stolen vehicle traveled onto Interstate 95 northbound and exited the highway at Exit 17 in Westport, at which time Westport police spotted the vehicle in the area of Saugatuck Avenue, Lt Vance said in a statement.

Westport police cars attempted to stop the vehicle, but were unable to catch up with it as it sped off at a high rate of speed, and they subsequently lost sight of the vehicle in traffic. Marino, who was driving the vehicle, struck several vehicles in the Saugatuck Avenue area of Westport as he attempted to flee, Lt Vance said.

Minutes later, Westport police received several 911 calls related to another carjacking that had occurred at Hermit Lane/Cavalry Road.

Westport police then spotted Marino driving a second vehicle that he had carjacked on Weston Road and attempted to stop it, the lieutenant said. Marino did not stop and fled northbound on Weston Road, subsequently entering the town of Weston.

A short time later, near the center of town, Marino lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole on Weston Road, near School Road, according to Lt Vance.

Weston police, fire, and ambulance personnel, responded to the scene. Marino was transported to Norwalk Hospital where he was pronounced dead, Lt Vance said.

A spokeswoman for the chief state medical examiner said an autopsy revealed that Marino died of multiple blunt trauma injuries in the motor vehicle accident.

State police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal motor vehicle accident, according to Lt Vance.