Police Arrest Second Suspect in Clinton Car Thefts, Burglaries

The following information was provided by the Clinton Police:

After the arrest of 24-year-old Dajun Hammie of New Haven on July 17, police have now identified and charged a second man allegedly involved in a series of car burglaries and thefts that took place in Clinton back in November and December of 2012. Lamar Conner, 23, of New Haven was charged today, August 8, for his involvement with the crime sprees that included 19 motor vehicle burglaries and and two separate motor vehicle thefts. Police say that these crimes were committed by the suspects during crime sprees on two separate occasions on November 19 and December 8. The suspects allegedly broke into vehicles taking cash, coin and electronics.

The two stolen vehicles were recovered days after the sprees in Hamden and New Haven, where police discovered items from other burglaries that identified by the victims from other towns.

Det. Pellegrini of the Clinton Police Department also seized a pre-paid phone that was left in one of the recovered stolen vehicles and used it to track names and numbers in the phone. Through the phone, he was able to identify associates of the owner and a street name of Hammie. He then utilized Facebook to further identify Hammie.

He also linked property recovered in the vehicles to other crimes throughout the state and Clinton. Video and receipts of the the suspects using stolen credit cards were seized and reviewed, police say, and booking photos and criminal histories were obtained. 

Det. Pellegrini was able to identify the suspects and located them as being held by the Department of Correction. Hammie was found to be incarcerated on unrelated charges. Pellegrini and Reed conducted interviews, and police say Hammie provided a full confession of the crimes when they spoke with him. He also implicated another person, police say.

Police now have identified Conner as the second suspect, who was currently incarcerated on unrelated Robbery and Firearm charges.

For both incidents, Hammie and Conner were charged with a total of 19 counts of Buglary in the 3rd degree to a motor vehicle, larceny in the second degree of a motor vehicle, larceny in the 3rd degree of a motor vehicle, larceny in the sixth degree, larceny in the fifth degree and conspiracy.

Hammie was in court today regarding the case.

Conner was arraigned in Middletown Court today, and his total bond was set at $90,000.