Cops: Wilton Man Out on $115K Bond Leads Stamford Police on 2 Chases

Written by DJ McAneny
Stamford Police said Thursday that a wanted man led them on a motor vehicle chase through the city before ditching his car, falsely reporting it stolen then returning to the scene where he was originally spotted by officers on patrol, who returned to the scene and were led on a second chase on foot.
 
According to Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin, officers on patrol in the area of Lawn Avenue spotted a grey 2003 Jeep Liberty that fled the area at a high rate of speed when the driver, who police identified as Larry Lamar Stephenson, 25, of Middle Brook Farm Road in Wilton, spotted police. 

Stephenson allegedly took police on a pursuit throughout the city before eventually making it onto I-95 Southbound, where he attempted to maneuver through traffic built up there and was involved in several accidents, according to Conklin. 

The Jeep was able to elude police, who spotted the car a short time later on Tresser Boulevard, abandoned. Conklin said in the car, police found oxycontin pills and a quantity of crack cocaine.

Conklin also noted, around the time of the vehicle's discovery, the state police received a phone call from Stephenson, who reported his Jeep as having recently been stolen. Stephenson reportedly told police he would not meet with them because he had warrants out for his arrest, he simply wanted to inform them his vehicle had been stolen. 

Officers who returned to Lawn Avenue from where the Jeep originally fled spotted Stephenson again on foot in the area. When Stephenson spotted police, Conklin said he took off running, eventually being apprehended in a wooded area nearby. 

Stephenson was found to have three outstanding warrants for first-degree failure to appear violations, which originally stem from robbery, narcotics and violation of probation charges for which Stephenson never attended his scheduled court appearances, Conklin noted. Those original charges had a total of $115,000 in bond levied against Stephenson, who was free after providing bond. 

Stephenson now faces additional charges of engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving, two counts of possession of narcotics, interfering with an officer/resisting, sale of certain illegal drugs, second-degree false reporting of an incident and possession of drugs near a school or daycare. He was issued a bond of $150,000 on those new charges for a total bond of $265,000.