Car Without License Plate Leads To Auto Theft Charge

A patrol officer's observation Monday evening that a parked car didn't have a license plate led to a South Norwalk man being arrested for allegedly stealing the vehicle.

Officer Robert Zwillich reported he was driving down Lincoln Avenue when he noticed a green Honda Civic parked at the curb without a license plate.

Zwillich exited his cruiser and found a license plate had been placed behind the rear window that came back to a truck stolen in Norwalk. The car's vehicle identification number showed it had been stolen in Bridgeport.

As Zwillich was examining the car, a woman approached him who said the car belongs to her brother.

Her brother, later identified as Mauro Flores, allegedly told Zwillich he bought the car from a mechanic in Bridgeport, although he didn't know the mechanic's name or the location where he bought the car.

Flores reportedly said the car was not registered or insured.

Zwillich reported Flores had a title for the car with someone else's name on it that didn't show the car's ownership had been signed over to him. Flores also didn't have a bill of sale for the car, Zwillich said.

Flores, 21, of 13 Lincoln Ave., was taken into custody and charged with third-degree larceny. He was held on $1,500 bond and given a court date of Oct. 4.