Police Thwart Gas Station Burglary In Progress

By Andrew Gorosko

At 10:59 pm Wednesday, December 19, police received a burglar alarm via Sonitrol Corp, alerting them of a problem at the closed Church Hill Gas Stop gas station at 47 Church Hill Road, so they went there to investigate.

On arriving, police found that someone had broken a large hole through the exterior wall of the building about two feet above the ground.

Realizing that there may be a burglar inside the building, town police called for aid from state police who brought a police dog with them to investigate the premises.

Using his dog named Bosco, state police Trooper Blake of Troop A in Southbury determined that there was a person was inside the small structure.

Police said that Daniel Rivera, 23, of Danbury then willingly exited the gas station through the hole in the wall, after which they arrested him.

Police checked the surrounding area and found an occupied vehicle parked across the street in the St Rose Church parking lot. Police said they found that Shaun James, 23, of Middletown, N.Y., was sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, whose listed owner is a person named Albert Rivera. Police said they then arrested James.

Police Patrol Officer Leonard Penna, who investigated the case, said in a statement that police arrested Daniel Rivera on charges of third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, second-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny, and criminal attempt to commit burglary.

Police arrested James on charges of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny.

Police held each of the two men on $25,000 bail for December 20 arraignments on the criminal charges in Danbury Superior Court.