Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Teen vandals refused to come out of the marsh — until a police pooch stepped up to the microphone.
And thus concluded an offbeat episode on the overnight police shift early Monday morning.
Here’s what happened, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman:
Cops went to Long Wharf Drive around 3 a.m. Monday to try to find out who had “smashed out” the glass panes on six bus enclosures along the road. They “learned that a group of three boys in their mid-teens” were responsible.
“The teens had fled to a marsh area at the south end. One of them was quickly plucked from his hiding place, as the other two went deeper into the Long Island Sound marsh near the Vietnam War Memorial. Officers at the scene were concerned for the young men’s safety and decided to hold
off for some specialized assistance. They didn’t want to pursue them into deeper water.”
Officer Lars Vallin showed up with “his canine partner Xander” (pictured at the top of the story), a 12-year-old Dutch Shepherd. Vallin took out his car’s public address system. He “urged” the teens to come out. No response.
“Officer Vallin then announced if they didn’t reveal themselves, he’d have Xander find them. Still nothing.”
Then Vallin got an idea: He brought the mic to Xander’s mouth. Xander took the cue, “barked loudly” thorugh the PA system.
“Within seconds the two young men emerged and were taken into custody. All three were arrested and charged with criminal mischief before being turned over to their parents.”
In other crime news over the weekend, according to Hartman:
Man Shot: A 24-year-old man drove himself to the Hospital of St. Raphael campus of Yale-New Haven Hospital around 8:30 p.m. Sunday after getting shot “below his right ear.” Cops weren’t able to interview the victim, and didn’t get much information from a passenger who had accompanied him to the hospital, beyond the fact that the shooting had occurred at a restaurant on Dixwell Avenue. An investigation continues. Meanwhile, the victim has been transferred to Yale-New Haven’s main campus, where he was listed in “serious but stable” condition.
First Student Hit: Someone stole five batteries from First Student school buses parked at 170 Middletown Ave. The batteries are worth about $200 apiece. Detectives plan to see whether “the crooks or crooks” show up on any area surveillance video. (Note: The police had originally incorrectly reported that 20, not five, batteries had been stolen.)
First ...good doggy...just to cute.
Second...200 batteries? Man who would even thing to take something like that? They must of weighed a ton! How would you move them? That is a planned thing.