Danbury Judge Draws the Line at Purse Snatching

Danbury Police charged Wayne Gant, 53, of Mill Plain Road, Danbury, at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, with several crimes arising from a purse snatching that had occurred earlier Friday. Police said a witness saw a man drive away from 100 Mill Plain Road in a Blue Honda Odyssey at about 1:30 p.m. That's when the purse and several laptops were reported stolen. Police issued a "be on the lookout for," and the car was later found on Elm Street. Police arrived and said Gant ran, but was caught after a short chase. Gant was charged with disorderly conduct, driving without a license, fourth-degree larceny, reckless driving and interfering with a police officer. He was held over the weekend on a $5,000 bond. He was arraigned Monday at Danbury Superior Court, where Judge John Blawie refused to lower Gant's bond, but instead he raised it to $25,000. Judge Blawie asked the bail commissioner how many times Gant had been arrested, and learned that since 1978, he had been convicted 36 times. The stolen purse was recovered from the vehicle along with some stolen laptops.

The Danbury Police Department provided this information. A person charged with a crime is innocent until having been convicted in court.