Top 10 Most Interesting Bethel Cop Stories of 2011

Cop stories have consistently been popular with Bethel Patch readers.

Here is a list of the most interesting police news from 2011, starting from the beginning of the year:

1. Date: February 24
Summary: According to the Bethel Police Department, owner/permittee of the  Ah Chen Siew, 46 of Southbury, and its bartender Antonio DosSantos, 48 of Wolcott, were arrested, both charged with delivery of alcohol to a minor. After an investigation, Bethel detectives "discovered several underage individuals being served and consuming alcoholic beverages in the lounge" of the restaurant, which is located at 83 Stony Hill Road. Siew and DosSantos were released after posting $1,000 bond. The underage drinkers were also issued administrative warnings.

2. Date: March 2
Summary: Werner Schulz, 82 of Newtown was charged with operating under suspension, engaging police in pursuit, interfering with an officer and assault on an officer after he allegedly struggled with police, Bethel officials said. Earlier in the day, Bethel police stopped Schulz in connection with a suspended license, officials said. He later returned to the police department to retrieve items and was spotted driving off, which was unlawful due to his license suspension, police said. Officers tried to stop him, engaging in a brief pursuit prior before his car was caught in traffic, police said. When an officer approached, Schulz did not want to get out of the car and allegedly slammed a car door on the officer's finger and punched the officer in the face, police said. Schulz was eventually taken into custody, held on $2,500 bond. His bond was eventually dropped and he was released on a promise to appear March 24 in state Superior Court in Danbury. The officer involved in the struggle sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.

3.
Date: April 8
Summary: Tthe Bethel Police responded to a complaint at a residence on Hidden Brook Trail. According to the police, the homeowners had returned home after dinner to find "a broken window on the exterior of their residence and then saw a man coming around the side of their house asking for a tow truck." Soon after this encounter, the intruder fled the scene and ran into the nearby woods. During the investigation, it was determined that the intruder had broken into the window, entered the home and "proceeded to take items from the refrigerator." He also brought in alcohol from his truck and entered a bedroom with the stolen food where he sat in front of the the television. Bethel Police K-9, Asco, was called to the scene to attempt to locate the intruder, who was later identified as Sean Sellars, 40 of Elm Street in Danbury. Asco "began to track from the residence where the intruder had last been seen" and led the police to Sellars, who had be attempting to conceal himself on a hilltop in a wooded area. Sellars was also found to be in possession of items taken from the home. Sellars was arrested and charged with burglary in the third degree, larceny in the sixth degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, refusal to be fingerprinted and trespassing in the third degree. He was held in $20,000 bond.

4. 
Date: April 29
Summary: Maurice Letlow, 49 of Irving Place in Danbury, was arrested by the Bethel Police in relation to dozens of reported car break ins that occurred in March. After a "rigorous investigation," Bethel's Patrol Division and Detective Bureau made the arrest after "a break in the case led to the location of the items stolen out of several of the vehicles." According to a , mostly GPS units and cash were taken from unlocked cars parked in driveways on Bethpage Drive, South Street, Saxon Road, Reservoir Street, Tremont Avenue, Grassy Plain Street, Melillo Avenue and more. A large number of the break ins occurred during the night of March 16-17. Letlow was arrested at his residence in Danbury and was charged with two counts of burglary in the third degree and two counts of larceny in the sixth degree.

5.
Date: May 13
Summary: A  restaurant on Route 6 in Bethel was robbed at knifepoint. The chain sandwich shop is located at 75 Stony Hill Road. Captain Robert Cedergren of the Bethel Police said the only details the police can confirm is that a robbery occurred at knifepoint and the suspect is a "white male." Cedergren said an undisclosed amount of money was taken, but the actual amount will not be released at this time. He also said no injuries occurred. The News Times reported that a similar robbery occurred at a Subway in New Milford the day before. Later in the week, the New Milford Police arrested Maxwell Gilliland, 21 of Old Stagecoach Road in New Milford, for the robbery of a Subway on Wednesday. Cedergren said the department is currently in the process of filing charges against Gilliland for a second Subway robbery incident that happened in Bethel on Thursday. In New Milford, Gilliland was charged with first-degree robbery, fifth-degree larceny and threatening and  has a bond set at $150,000. 

6. 
Date: May 13
Summary: Bethel police officers were called to the Microtel Inn on Stony Hill Road "regarding two uncooperative guests apparently refusing to leave their room after check out time." The guests were identified as Matthew Ricci, 38 of Danbury, and Thomas Carlson, 31 of Bethel. After being located by police at the inn, Ricci took off running on foot and was later found on Sand Hill Road. During the chase, an officer sustained a wrist injury and it was discovered that Ricci was in possession of drugs. Carlson was located at the 7-11 after Ricci's arrest. It was also discovered that both men had warrants out for their arrest for violating parole; Ricci out of Brookfield and Carolson out of Waterbury. Ricci was also charged with assault on an officer, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

7. Date: July 26
Summary: Around 8 a.m., Bethel Police reportedly obtained and executed a search warrant on Plumtrees Road. The warrant was related to an investigation the department had been conducting "into the cultivation of marijuana" at an address on that road. Police said a search of the home "produced evidence of the cultivation of marijuana and related charges." Guy Allen, 57, and Ellen Allen, 52, were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of paraphernalia, cultivation and possession within 1,500 feet of a school zone. They were each later released on $5,000 bond.

8. 
Date: August 2
Summary: Danbury man Matthew Ricci, 39 of Hospital Avenue, was pulled over on Whitney Road in Bethel for a motor vehicle violation, but after refusing to stop, he got out and ran on foot. According to the police report, after a "brief foot pursuit," police were able to arrest Ricci. He was also seen throwing a item while he was running from police. Officers later recovered a small electronic defense weapon (stun gun). It was later determined that Ricci was driving with a suspended license and was a convicted felon and is prohibited from posessing such an object. Ricci was charged with criminal possession of an electronic defense weapon, failure to display plates, disobeying the signal of an officer, operating under suspension and interfing with an officer. He was held on $10,000 bond.

9. 
Date: September 21
Summary: After an undercover investigation into the sexual exploitation of children through the internet, the Bethel Police arrested Kyle Carlson, 25 of Hoofman Road in Manchester, for enticing a minor, attempted risk of injury to a minor, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to police reports, Carlson had first contacted and engaged in "sexual conversation over the internet with an undercover office posing as a 14-year-old female." Carlson came from Manchester to Bethel to meet the 14-year-old persona "for the purpose of having sex." After approaching a female officer posing as the girl, he was arrested. A subsequent search of Carlson's vehicle came up with condoms, a small amount of marijuana and a smoking pipe. Carlson was held on $50,000 bond.The police also worked with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

10. Date: December 15
Summary: According to a police report released at 9:24 a.m., "a bomb threat was called into Bethel High School (BHS)" Thursday morning. Police said a "school resource officer" and Bethel detectives assisted in the investigation, and found a juvenile BHS student responsible for making the threat through phone records. The student, whose name will not released because he/she is a minor, was arrested and charged with threatening in the first degree and breach of peace in the second the degree.