Police make arrest in CT car theft plot involving intentional crash to lure victim out of vehicle

A Massachusetts man faces a larceny charge after police say he was involved in a plot in which he and an accomplice purposely struck a car in South Windsor last spring so he could steal the vehicle when the driver got out to inspect the damage.

Adrian Perez, 20, of Agawam, Massachusetts was arrested Friday and charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, according to the South Windsor Police Department.

Police said the charge stems from an incident in April 2023 when Perez and a female rear-ended another driver in the area of Chapel Road and Route 5. When the other driver got out of the vehicle to inspect the damage, police allege Perez jumped into the driver seat and took off.

The stolen vehicle was recovered about a month later in West Hartford after it had been sold on Facebook Marketplace. Police said they were able to “work backwards” and tie Perez to the theft.

His arrest last week came after investigators obtained a warrant for him.

Following his arrest, South Windsor police said he was released on $25,000 bond and turned back over to the Hampden County Correctional Center in Massachusetts. He is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on May 29.