Spring Cleaning: Stolen Vacuum Leads to Police Chase

“Spring cleaning” took on a new meaning for police late last week after a Meriden man led police on a two-town pursuit in an attempt to avoid being caught with a stolen vacuum cleaner.

Three area residents are facing larceny charges and one is also facing charges of leading police on a pursuit following an incident that started on the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike Friday afternoon.

Michael Rowland, of 234 Sherman Ave. in Meriden, Nicole Gamble, of 236 W. Main St. in Meriden, and Vincent Jankowski Jr., 28, of 28 Trumball Drive in Wallingford, were each taken into custody on charges of fifth-degree larceny. All three have been released on bond and are due in Bristol Superior Court for arraignment on April 18.

Rowland, 31, is also facing charges of disobeying the signal of an officer, engaging in pursuit, operating a motor vehicle without a license, misuse of marker plates, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, tinted glass without an inspection sticker, passing in a no passing zone, traffic control signal and reckless driving.

Southington Police Sgt. Lowell DePalma said the arrests came following an afternoon chase when an officer recognized that Rowland’s car was unregistered as the three were traveling east along Meriden-Waterbury Road.

When the officer tried to pull Rowland over, however, he refused to stop and proceeded to head along the turnpike before swerving around a truck to take a right onto Route 10, a police report said.

Police continued to follow Rowland as he drove into Cheshire then proceeded to pull over, only to take off when the officer stopped and turn left onto Interstate 691 West. A second Southington officer and two Cheshire officers joined in the chase at that point, DePalma said.

Police said Rowland pulled over a second time to try and juke police before he was finally stopped just before the Interstate 84 interchange.

When officers approached the car, DePalma said they found a Dyson Ball Vacuum cleaner in the package and all three told officers the reason they didn’t stop was because it had been stolen from Home Depot.

The vacuum cleaner is sold at a retail value of $549.

A subsequent search also revealed that Gamble was in possession of a personal amount of marijuana, police said. Gamble, 25, is facing charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police records.