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Three Charged With Stealing Copper, Doorknobs From Darien Home

DARIEN, Conn. -- Three men were charged with breaking into a Darien home on Tulip Tree Lane and stealing pipes, doorknobs and hinges, according to police.

Darien police said three men were arrested stealing copper piping and doorknobs from a home on Tulip Tree Lane.

Darien police said three men were arrested stealing copper piping and doorknobs from a home on Tulip Tree Lane.

Photo Credit: Casey Donahue

Eric Whitehead, 23, of Darien; Michael Davis, 27, of Shelton; and Rickie Carter, 29, of Stamford, were each charged with sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny.

Whithead and Davis were also charged with third-degree criminal trespassing and conspiracy to commit third-degree criminal trespassing, and Whitehead was charged with possession of narcotics.

Whitehead and Davis each posted $500 bond, Carter posted $250 bond, and all three will appear in court on April 2.

On Saturday, March 21, police received a complaint from the owner of a home on Tulip Tree Lane who said he had arrived there to find a 1990 Dodge Dynasty parked out front with Carter in the passenger seat. Carter said his friend worked for a demolition company and had come to the house to check out a job site. The owner had not scheduled demolition, and called the police. 

The homeowner then saw Carter move over to the driver's side of the car, and saw two men running through the back yard of the home toward the woods, police said. Carter pulled the car away and went to pick up the two men, police said. Officers arrived and saw the car driving from the scene and turned to follow it, police said. An officer saw the car exiting Little Brook Road, a dead end, with Davis now driving, according to police reports.

The officer pulled over the car and spoke to Davis, who said he had pulled onto Little Brook Road in an attempt to lose the officer, according to police reports. Davis stepped out of the car, and the officer detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the car, according to police. There was a glass pipe used for smoking marijuana on one of the seats, and Davis admitted that he had another glass pipe in his possession, according to police reports.

Carter said he had stopped to pick up Whitehead, who told police that his family owned the Tulip Tree Lane home and that he was allowed to be there to pick up some stuff. Police said he was unaware that the home had already been sold.

Officers patted Whitehead down, and found several metal door hinges in his pocket, police said. There were also pieces of metal and copper in the car, police said.

Whitehead admitted he had marijuana in his possession, and when K9 officer Zulu conducted a search of the car, officers found a vial containing cocaine in a backpack belonging to Whitehead, according to police reports.

All three men were arrested. Police said the homeowners reported that doorknobs, door hinges and copper piping had been taken, and someone had tried to remove a stove. Entry had been gained through an unlocked garage door, police said.

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