Vernon Homeowner Thwarts Burglary at His Home, Ellington Residents Charged

A Vernon resident pulled into his driveway on Thursday afternoon and interrupted a burglary in progress, police said.

As a result, two Ellington residents are facing charges.

At 1:14 p.m. on Thursday, Vernon police received a 911 phone call from the homeowner, who lives on Skinner Road. While entering the driveway to his home, he saw a dark gray Mazda 626 parked there with a white female sitting in it, according to a Vernon Police Department news release. 

She was later identified as Brandi Laborde, 30, of 159 Pinney St., Apt. 103D, Ellington, police said.

The homeowner asked Laborde why she was at his house and she claimed she was turning around in the driveway, police said.

The resident suddenly saw a white male in the storage shed in his back yard, police said. The male, later identified as Chad Canfield, 30, of the same Ellington address, ran from the shed and the home, police said.

Laborde fled the area toward the Ellington town line, police said. It was determined that Laborde had attempted to break into the home through the back door before attention turned to the storage shed, police said.

Vernon officers and detectives responded to the area and began a search with a canine unit. They were able to follow Canfield’s track through the Skinner Road neighborhood and into the Wellwood Circle area, according to a news release.

Police said the track suddenly ended as though Canfield had climbed into into a vehicle.

State Police in Ellington were notified with the description of Laborde’s vehicle and began checking the area, according to a news release. 

Troopers spotted a Mazda matching the description on Pinney Street and followed it into the parking lot of an apartment complex at 159 Pinney St., according to a news release.

When Laborde parked the car and exited, troopers noticed that she matched the description of the female seen at the attempted burglary a few minutes earlier, according to a news release.

Vernon police arrived on the scene and were interviewing her with the State Police when Canfield arrived at the apartment, according to a news release.

Canfield was detained and the homeowner from Vernon was brought to the scene, police said. He identified the pair as the people he had seen on his property, police said.

Both were placed under arrest and transported to the Vernon Police Department where Canfield was charged with third-degree burglary and Laborde conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, police said.

They were held overnight on $25,000 surety bonds and were to appear in court on Friday, police said.

Police said Canfield has an extensive criminal history for burglaries in Texas and has prior arrests in Connecticut.