Cops: Empty Gas Tank Foils Norwalk Burglar

To hear the Norwalk police description, nothing seemed to be going wrong for burglar Edward Lenard in removing a flat-screen television—until he couldn't start his car.

Police gave this account of the incident:

Then Lenard, 23, of 22 Lowe St., asked a witness if he could get some gasoline to start his car. The witness told Lenard he couldn't help him, so Lenard then took the 37-inch flat-screen TV, said to be worth about $3,800, and stashed it in some bushes nearby on Reardon Street. The witness told police he saw that, too.

A resident of the burglarized apartment at 112 Bouton St. returned home after buying some food, and noticed a bottle of liquor in an unusual spot. Some curtains were also arranged differently, and on further inspection, the man found that his son's flat-screen television was missing from a wall.

Meanwhile, police received a call from the witness who saw Lenard and his car. Police arrived at the scene, found the television in the bushes and were about to tow the car when Lenard returned.