Community Corner

Charges Continue to Mount for Southington Man Accused in Burglaries

Police say Joseph Testa, already incarcerated in connection with previous cases, is now facing multiple charges from theft of power tools from locked sheds.

The charges continue to mount for a Southington man already accused of several burglaries in town after he was arrested again Wednesday, this time in connection with the theft of burglary tools from standalone sheds at and two nearby homes.

Officers served a warrant on Joseph Testa, formerly of 368 Jude Lane in Southington, while he was appearing in court in a separate case. He was immediately arraigned on charges including three counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of sixth-degree larceny, two counts of fifth-degree larceny, third-degree criminal mischief and criminal trespassing stemming from four separate cases.

Testa, 18, who now has a total of seven pending criminal cases stemming between July 6 and Aug. 10, is currently being held at the Hartford Correctional Center on court-set bail of $125,800, according to the state Department of Correction.

Police said the latest charges were the result into a series of thefts from locked sheds, including two separate incidents at Hawks Landing Country Club and homes on Burning Tree Drive and October Lane.

“These were standalone sheds that were locked up and, in each case, evidence showed he broke through the locks and proceeded to take as many power tools as he could,” said Sgt. Lowell DePalma of the .

Testa stole leaf blowers, chain saws, weed trimmers and other tools and then proceeded to try to sell them at area pawn shops in June and July, police said.

In attempting to sell the items, however, police said he left a trail of evidence that helped lead to his arrest including video surveillance and documentation of the sales.

“Pawn shops now want ID and multiple cameras,” said DePalma. “Everything is logged and put into a database for easy tracking.”

For Testa, the latest arrest is just part of ongoing troubles that began in July when he was arrested in two sixth-degree larceny cases. Then on July 19, he was charged with fifth-degree larceny, sixth-degree larceny, third-degree burglary and third-degree criminal mischief for the theft of a dirt bike in March.

Police connected Testa and Southington resident Mark LaFrance, 20, to the theft after both the owner of the bike and a Bristol man they had sold the bike to identified them during the investigation.

Testa is due back in court on Aug. 16 and could enter a plea to the charges in each of his seven criminal cases at that time, according to court officials.


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