Middletown Police have apprehended a man in conjunction with the recent outbreak of laptop thefts on campus. The suspect, Christopher Aresco, is a 23 year-old Middletown resident. He is suspected of stealing six laptops belonging to University students. Aresco attempted to sell one of the stolen laptops on Craigslist.
“Police reported on Oct. 17 that officers set up a buy of a suspected stolen laptop that was listed on Craigslist,” reads an article from The Middletown Press. “At a designated time and place, officers met with the seller, identified as Aresco, at the McDonald’s parking lot on Washington Street. When officers met with Aresco, he allegedly showed the laptop and told police he bought it in 2011. Police apprehended Aresco.”
While searching Aresco’s apartment, Middletown Police found additional laptops that they suspected were also stolen. This finding comes after an especially high number of reported laptop thefts at the University during October. According to Director of Public Safety (PSafe) Dave Meyer, Aresco may not be the only laptop thief.
“The information we have is the subject arrested was not the one stealing [the laptops],” Meyer said. “We have made several arrests of subjects for trespass that have a history of larceny and burglary. This is still an active investigation.”
Meyer said that the majority of the recent laptop thefts on campus occurred when students left their doors or windows unlocked or open when they were not present in their rooms. Additionally, most of these thefts took place during Friday or Saturday nights in September and October, when students were largely absent from the dorms.
The Middletown Press, however, reported that the laptops found in Aresco’s apartment did match those reported stolen by students.
“[Police] found five more laptops that matched descriptions of computers stolen from Wesleyan,” The Middletown Press article reads. “All five were seized and confirmed as being stolen from Wesleyan students.”
Aresco was booked for having stolen one of the laptops. While the other five laptops match descriptions of laptops stolen from University students, the investigation is still unresolved.
“They fit the description of laptops stolen from Wesleyan University, including a 15-inch Macbook Pro [and] a 17-inch Macbook Pro, which Aresco insisted was his,” read The Middletown Patch, which also covered the arrest.
The Middletown Patch reported that Aresco was charged last week.
“Investigations are ongoing for the other five laptops, the report indicates, and arrest warrants will be applied for,” read The Middletown Patch. “He was charged with fourth-degree larceny, released on an $1,150 non-surety bond and is due back in court on Nov. 2.”
According to Conn. state law, fourth-degree larceny is listed as a Class A misdemeanor. Such an offense is punishable by up to one year imprisonment and a $2,000 fine.
Aresco claims not to have stolen the laptops.
“At the station Aresco admitted, ‘he buys and sells electronics as a hobby,’ the report says, mostly sold cell phones, and his ‘real job’ is in Hartford at Aetna,” reported The Middletown Patch. “Aresco told police he bought from a person, ‘and didn’t feel good about these,’ the report indicates.”
The laptops were stolen from various locations on campus, including woodframe houses and Hewitt. The laptop that Aresco tried to sell to Middletown Police had been stolen from the Freeman Athletic Center. According to The Middletown Press, the victim whose laptop was stolen from Freeman told police that he wanted to press charges.