Car chase ends in downtown Stamford

STAMFORD — A short car chase involving a reported stolen vehicle turned turned into a foot race at Mill River Park that ended with the arrests of a juvenile and 23-year old man early Thursday afternoon, police said.

The incident began at 12:26 p.m. when officers Tom Landry and Kevin Becroft spotted a reported stolen car driving past them, Lt. Tom Scanlon said. The two spun their cruiser around and tried to pull the vehicle over.

The 2017 blue Toyota Corolla did not stop initially, but two blocks later after it ran into heavy traffic on West Broad and Washington Boulevard, the car was stopped by police, and the passenger and driver bailed out, running away in different directions, police said.

Landry and Becroft, who this past week took Stamford man Danarius Dukes into custody to be charged with a 27-year-old murder, pursued the driver and apprehended him, Scanlon said. Other officers arriving at the scene chased down the 16-year-old juvenile, Scanlon said, who police are not identifying because of his age.

The driver was identified as Demetris Lark, from Kossuth Street in Bridgeport, Scanlon said.

Both were taken into custody in different parts of Mill River Park. Lark was charged with first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, following

too closely, no license and evading responsibility, police said.

The juvenile was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and first-degree larceny and was released into the custody of his father.

Scanlon said the car was stolen from an address in Stamford on June 24.