New Canaan Police investigative work and a DNA match led to the arrest of a 55-year-old Connecticut man who is accused of breaking into a Llewellyn Drive home in June and stealing prescription drugs and about $45,000 in jewelry and other items.
Lawrence Ruscoe, 55, of Brooklyn, Conn., was arrested by warrant on Nov. 20 and charged with first-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief and third-degree burglary.
Responding to a 57-year-old man’s complaint that his home had been burglarized some time between June 9 and 10, police arrived at the Llewellyn Drive residence and found a large rock inside the home that apparently had been hurled through a glass door to gain entry (causing $8,000 in damage). A vial of 15 Oxycontin pills had been emptied and, in addition to $2,200 in cash, the following items were among those reported missing: five watches ($3,000 total), pen and pencil sets ($3,600 total), eight brooches, mostly gold (($6,000), three sets of earrings ($8,300) five necklaces including two strands of pearls ($12,600), three bracelets ($3,100) and a set of cufflinks ($3,700).
Investigators at the scene had swabbed items that the perpetrator likely had touched and took in some skin cell particles, according to Sgt. Carol Ogrinc of the New Canaan Police Department. Police found a match in a DNA database that includes convicted criminals.
Ruscoe, who had been convicted in 2007 on narcotics charges following a 2004 arrest, was on furlough from a supervised housing program of some sort when the June burglary occurred, officials said. He likely had been incarcerated elsewhere for separate offenses when New Canaan Police brought these most recent charges, Ogrinc said.