During the early morning hours of March 27, 2024, State Police responded to reports of two carjacking attempts and one completed carjacking along Interstate 95. The three incidents remain under investigation by detectives from the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad.
At 4:27 a.m., Troopers from Troop G-Bridgeport responded to the I-95 northbound rest area in Darien for a report of an attempted carjacking. Upon arrival, Troopers spoke with the male complainant, who reported that he had parked his Audi in the rest area parking lot and was in the process of exiting the vehicle to go inside the building as his female passenger remained inside of the vehicle. The male victim stated that an older model white sedan pulled behind his vehicle and two young males exited and approached him. One suspect grabbed the male victim and attempted to physically pull the victim away from the Audi. The victim struck the male in the face, which caused the individual to retreat backwards. The male victim then quickly re-entered the Audi and the male suspect re-approached and made further attempts to open the driver’s side door.
While this was occurring, the second male suspect was attempting to physically remove the female victim through the passenger side front door. The female victim was able to pull the passenger side door closed, preventing the male suspect from removing her from the vehicle. Once the male victim was able to secure the driver’s side door, the two suspects retreated. They were last seen getting back into the white sedan and fleeing from the area. No weapons were displayed or implied during this incident.
At 5:27 a.m., Troopers from Troop G-Bridgeport received a 911 call of an attempted armed carjacking that occurred at the I-95 southbound rest area in Milford. The male victim stated he was in the process of fueling his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown individual wearing a mask who displayed a firearm. In response, the victim proceeded to spray the suspect with gasoline. The suspect then fled the scene in a black sedan with an unknown number of occupants.
At 5:38 a.m., Troopers from Troop G-Bridgeport responded to the I-95 northbound rest area in Milford for a report of an armed carjacking. The female victim parked an Acura RDX in the parking lot. As she exited her vehicle and approached the building, she was confronted by an individual wearing dark clothing and a mask. A firearm was displayed as the suspect demanded the victim’s keys and belongings. As the victim complied, she reported that two more individuals, also wearing masks, approached. One or more of the suspects drove off in the Acura RDX. When Troopers arrived on the scene, an unoccupied Kia Forte sedan was found to be parked, unoccupied, with the engine running. The Kia was later confirmed to be stolen from Hamden.
At approximately 7:29 a.m., Troop G was notified that the stolen Acura RDX was involved in a motor vehicle collision in Hamden, and its occupants were reported to have fled on foot. The suspects were reported to have entered a Hyundai SUV and fled as Troopers responded to the area to assist. The Acura RDX and Kia Forte were seized as evidence in this investigation.
All of the facts and circumstances surrounding these incidents remain under investigation and this is all the information available for release at this time.
Witnesses to any of these incidents are asked to contact State Police Detective Caroline Hanson by email at Caroline.Hanson@ct.gov
Additionally, for anyone operating a vehicle equipped with a dash camera and traveling through these areas at the time of these incidents, we ask you to also contact Detective Hanson. All information will remain confidential.
State Police offers these tips for staying safe at rest areas and any location:
- Never leave your vehicle running and unattended.
- Never leave children unattended in a vehicle.
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Take your keys with you when exiting your vehicle.
- Hide valuables from view before parking and leaving your vehicle.
- Whenever possible, fuel your vehicle during daylight hours.
- Maintain situational awareness and be alert to your surroundings (the people and activities occurring nearby).
- Take your keys, wallet/purse and cell phone with you, even during brief stops.
- Know your vehicle’s make/model, color, and registration plate to assist police (save a photo of your license plate and unique features such as custom accessories, bumper stickers or damage).
