New Canaan Police K-9 dog Apollo was one of four trained law enforcement canines that assisted late Saturday in a search for suspects in two home break-ins in Greenwich.
NCPD K-9 dog Apollo gets his “badge” during a department awards and promotion ceremony on Sept. 15, 2015 in the Douglass Room at Lapham Community Center. He’s pictured here with Police Chief Leon Krolikowski (L) and his handler, Officer David Rivera. Credit: Michael Dinan
K-9 units from the MTA Police, Westchester County PD and Connecticut State Police also arrived on scene at Pheasant Lane in Greenwich shortly after 11 p.m. to search for the burglars, according to Lt. Kraig Gray, public information officer of the Greenwich Police Department. A Westchester PD helicopter also assisted in the search.
A family alerted local police to their home on Pheasant Lane shortly after arriving home to find that they’d been burglarized, Gray said in a press release.
“The homeowners contacted the police who responded immediately securing the residence,” Gray said. “Upon arrival of the patrol units, it became evident that the suspect(s) had most likely been interrupted in the commission of a burglary and possibly were still in the area.”
As Greenwich patrol units flooded the area, police learned during a house-to-house search that an adjacent property on Rockwood Lane Spur also had been burglarized, Gray said, and on Sunday morning an unlocked SUV with its keys inside was found to have been stolen overnight.
That car, a 2007 Denali, was found through its “On-Star” locator system, abandoned in Long Island, Gray said.
Though the suspects in these burglaries as of Sunday afternoon had eluded capture, Gray said, “Greenwich Detectives who have continued to work these open investigations have developed several solid leads.”
Police throughout Fairfield County, including in New Canaan and surrounding towns, have seen a steep rise since the summer in illegal residential and motor vehicle entries and thefts. NCPD last week arrested an additional party and brought new charges against another person believed to be connected to a criminal ring that’s targeted the town.
NCPD Chief Leon Krolikowski is reminding New Canaanites to lock their cars and homes, set alarm systems, properly secure valuables and report all suspicious activity to police via 9-1-1.
The New Canaan Police K-9 dog, Apollo, a German shepherd dog out of Washington state, is now about two years old. Since making his public debut at Waveny on July 4, he has assisted in multiple arrests, including narcotics incidents, as well as searched for missing people. He also has practiced searching for illegal narcotics at New Canaan High School, an effort that police would like to expand beyond training.