Suspects charged in multiple vehicle and garage break-ins

FARMINGTON – Police have charged two people in connection with a string of vehicle break-ins that have occurred over the last two weeks.

Courtney Groder, 19 of Vienna, has been charged with 18 counts of burglary to a motor vehicle, all Class D crimes; one Class C felony burglary at a residence and a Class D theft of a computer laptop, which was not related to the vehicle break-ins.

Warrants are being drawn up to charge a second person with the same charges, but excluding the laptop theft.

According to Detective Marc Bowering of the Farmington Police Department, multiple reports of items being taken from unlocked vehicles and several garages in the High Street area have come into the department since mid-July.

Last week, Bowering and Lt. Jack Peck canvassed the neighborhoods, talking with people who live in the area between Franklin Avenue and Perham Street along High Street where the burglaries were reported. Groder and the other suspect to be charged were allegedly spotted by residents in their neighborhood.

All of the car burglaries occurred at night and taken were items such as ipods, GPS devices, car stereos and money. Each of the burglaries was under $1,000 and because no damage was done to the unlocked vehicles during the break-ins, those charges are all misdemeanors.

The break-in at a residence in which a stereo system was reported as stolen, did result in a felony burglary charge.

In the course of their investigation and unrelated to the 20 counts of charges pending, police have recovered two bicycles and a fishing pole that had been taken from an unlocked vehicle parked in the downtown area. These thefts were not reported to police. Bowering is asking that anyone who is missing those items to call the Farmington Police Department at 778-6311 and identify them.