Man charged after state police box in truck stolen in Vermont on dead-end street in Bristol
A man facing a DUI charge was reportedly found with guns and drug paraphernalia in a stolen pickup truck after state police troopers followed him through multiple towns on Thursday.
Troopers began following the vehicle on Interstate 91 in the area of Exit 34 in Hartford after reportedly learning that it had been stolen in Vermont earlier in the day, according to Connecticut State Police.
The vehicle, a Ford F-550 towing a GMC SUV on a car carrier, was spotted in Hartford shortly after Massachusetts State Police told Connecticut authorities that the vehicle’s last known location was on I-91 in the area of Windsor and Windsor Locks.
Connecticut troopers followed the Ford as it left I-91 South using Exit 32A and got onto Interstate 84 West before getting onto Route 72 West, state police said. The vehicle headed into Bristol and turned onto Queen Street.
State police troopers boxed the Ford in on the dead-end street and took the driver into custody. He was identified as 47-year-old Shawn Carpenter of Hartford, Vermont, according to state police.
State police said they reportedly found two loaded handguns and drug paraphernalia inside the Ford. Carpenter declined to say anything about the items when asked by investigators.
According to state police, the owner of the vehicle traveled to Connecticut upon learning the Ford had been located and said the guns and drug paraphernalia were not theirs.
Carpenter was taken to Troop H in Hartford.
According to state police, Carpenter allegedly showed signs of possible impairment and failed multiple field sobriety tests.
He was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree larceny, two counts each of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm under the influence of alcohol or drugs and carrying a pistol without a permit and a single count each of use of drug paraphernalia, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating without a license and failure to maintain proper lane.
Carpenter was held on a $150,000 bond and was expected to be arraigned in New Britain Superior Court on Friday.