Manchester police K-9 helps locate car burglary suspect hiding in river

A Manchester police K-9 helped track down a suspect in a Vernon car burglary who was hiding in a river over the weekend.

Vernon police responded to the report of a suspicious vehicle in the area of 23 Hartford Turnpike on Sunday at about 1 a.m. before finding a vehicle with a smashed window and headlights that were on, according to the Manchester Police Department.

Manchester police were tapped for assistance after two men in the area fled and Vernon officers set up a perimeter, according to police.

One of the suspects emerged from the woods and surrendered as a Manchester officer and K-9 Dakota were getting ready to start a track in a wooded area near Key Hyundai.

The Manchester officer and the K-9 then found the second suspect hiding beneath an embankment of the Hockanum River, police said. The suspect, who was lying in the water, was taken into custody without a struggle, according to Manchester police.

Neither suspect has been identified.

“Both suspects were transported to the Vernon Police Department without issue to face charges related to the incident,” Manchester Lt. Ryan Shea said in a statement.

“The Manchester Police Department remains steadfast in efforts to reduce criminal activity in our community and assisting other agencies in the mission of public safety,” Shea said, adding that it took a collaborative effort between both agencies to locate the suspects.