Loud Vehicle Helps Police Catch Burglary Suspects

Two burglars were caught stealing tools from someone’s garage early Thursday morning can blame their downfall on a loud vehicle exhaust pipe.

Naugatuck Police Officer Colin McAllister heard an extremely loud exhaust pipe on an SUV on New Haven Road at 1:50 a.m. and saw two men in the car, police said. The vehicle looked suspicious, so McAllister kept an eye on it. At that point, a call came over his radio that two men robbed someone’s house on Clark Road and left in a Ford Explorer with a loud exhaust, the same vehicle he was looking at.

McAllister began following the vehicle with no sirens until the suspects drove into Waterbury, where they got off Route 8 on South Leonard Street. With Waterbury officers there, McAllister pulled the vehicle over and police the two men.

The victim on Clark Road said he awoke to hear a loud noise coming from his garage and looked outside, police said. In his driveway, he saw the man carrying a tool kit and an air compressor, police said.

The homeowner yelled out to the men, who became startled and ran off, leaving the air compressor but taking the tools, police said.

Deric Ramdin, 32, of 21 Rosette St., Waterbury, and Joseph Bromley, 29, of 177 Colonial St., Watertown, were charged with first-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny, second-degree criminal trespass and conspiracy at all three.

They were held on bond. The details of their court arraignment were not immediately available.

Police are investigating whether the duo is responsible for other area thefts.