Thomas Crawford, 31, and Hannah Casperson, 25, allegedly broke into 41 cars at Countryside Apartments and Clearview Hills on Friday.
WOLCOTT, Conn. – 41 cars at Countryside Apartments and Clearview Hills Condos on Wolf Hill Road in Wolcott were broken into on Friday.
Thomas Crawford, 31, faces 41 counts of burglary, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, criminal mischief and more. He was arrested on Friday. Hannah Casperson was taken into custody on Sunday after leading police on a half-hour chase. She reportedly injured seven Waterbury officers and caused eight patrol vehicles $135,000 in the chase that ended in Monroe.
In the arrest warrant for Crawford obtained by FOX61, Crawford admitted to police that he and Casperson would break in and steal together. He was involved in several break and enters on Thursday and Friday.
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The apartment complex houses seniors, mostly on social security and a fixed income. Police said they don’t believe the two knew about it.
If those with damaged vehicles do not have full auto coverage, the insurance may not cover window repairs, which means they will have to pay out of pocket.
That could be hundreds of dollars that neighbor Diane Kapp said she needs.
“With the economy, like it is now, everything is more expensive,” she said. “A lot of us don’t have any disposable income, so when these surprises come up, sometimes you just say, ‘Where will the money come from?’
Night vision sunglasses and loose change were stolen from his car. She has insurance that will cover the repair, but knows many people at the resort who don’t.
She said many get a check at the beginning of the month and that’s what they have to spend.
“It’s a test for them, in fact for me too. Luckily I have insurance, so they paid,” said James Durand, who also had his vehicle broken into. “He broke in and ruined everything.”
Crawford was found with a punch and a drink in his pocket. Police said they believe the pair saw an opportunity with numerous cars in the same location. However, he admitted that they did not fire much from the vehicles.
Many neighbors are still trying to figure out how to replace windows.
One shared on Facebook that she doesn’t have glass coverage and has to dip into her social security to pay the bill.
This is what motivated Kathy Flanagan to start a fundraiser to help.
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“Because, I know my only friend, it would probably change her life. She lives on a very fixed income,” she said. “It’s just heartless. Totally heartless and I think that’s a big reason I wanted to do this fundraiser.
Flanagan, who lives nearby in Terryville, is originally from Wolcott. She has several friends who live in the complex. She said it can become difficult to manage Social Security with current prices.
She’s not the only one who saw an opportunity to help. Kulmann’s auto body shop manager Tommy Centinaro contacted Flanagan to see how they could help.
“Advice on trying to get their cars fixed,” he said. “We can’t fix the car for free, but try to do everything we can for the customer. Since they are all old people and so on.
He said they would consider offering discounts to those without insurance.
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Neighbors say it’s “exceptional” that there are people who want to help. You can find the Facebook donation page here.
If you would like to donate, click here.
Tony Black is a multimedia reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
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