Watch Fleeing Suspect in Stolen Car Ram Waterbury Connecticut Police Cruiser

By Peter Yankowski

Source Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.

WATERBURY, CT — Two people were arrested last week after police say they attempted to flee in a stolen car in a lot on Hillside Avenue.

Video shared by Waterbury police showed the stolen car struck a police vehicle that had attempted to box it in, as well as at least one parked car, before it slammed into two brick columns.

Daniel Baker, 42, of Naugatuck and Janete Olivencia, 38, of Waterbury are charged in connection with the incident.

At about 3:32 p.m. Feb. 5, police spotted a 2007 Honda Accord that had been reported stolen out of Bridgeport that morning parked in a lot on the 100 block of Hillside Avenue.

Police said the officers involved were members of the Police Department's Auto Theft Task Force and Vice and Intelligence Unit as well as members of the Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force, who were patrolling in the area.

"When officers attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop, Baker tried to flee and collided the stolen vehicle with a police cruiser and a brick wall," Waterbury police said in a post on Instagram.

The social media post included an edited clip of officers' dashboard and body-worn camera footage, which showed police run up to the black, two-door car as the driver tried to pull away while up against a fence.

An officer's body-cam footage showed him run up to the right side of the car and smash the passenger window as the driver tried to take off. He ordered the woman sitting in the front passenger seat to get out of the car.

"I am," the woman repeated several times, holding up her hands, as the driver continued to drive away from police.

The body-cam footage then captured the evading car as it got clear of the side of the fence and drover way, becoming stuck between a parked car and a police vehicle that tried to block it in.

In the video, the car drove off, and dash-camera footage shows a police cruiser pursued it a short distance into a parking area under a building. The stolen car then struck a brick column, before the cruiser filming slams into the vehicle from behind as the stolen car collides into a column head-on.

Waterbury police said Baker "attempted to elude officers" but was apprehended at the scene. He was hospitalized for a "laceration to his face," Waterbury police said.

They noted Olivencia was arrested "without incident." She is charged with theft of a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said drug paraphernalia was found in the car during a search of the vehicle.

Baker is charged with both of those offenses, as well, along with reckless driving, evading responsibility, second-degree criminal trover, first-degree criminal mischief, illegal possession of a controlled substance, driving with a suspended license and failure to keep narcotic medication in its original container.

Police said Baker also had an warrant out of Fairfield at the time he was arrested.

_____________

Visit www.journalinquirer.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.