NJ man arrested less than an hour after being released on earlier bust

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A New Jersey man was busted in Connecticut on trespassing and burglary charges less than an hour after being released from custody for a drug and larceny arrest, police said.

Lawrence Crook, 37, of Jersey City, was first arrested in Fairfield on Oct. 8 on charges of first-degree larceny, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after a man at a condo complex told cops he saw Crook with a black SUV acting suspiciously, police told the Fairfield Citizen.

“He was seen loading several blue and white striped bags into the vehicle,” Fairfield police Lt. Antonio Granata told the newspaper. “When he was confronted by a witness, a brief conversation ensued, and the male quickly fled on foot which prompted a call to police.”

Investigators learned the SUV had been reported stolen from a car dealership in Bayside, Queens, and tracked down a suspect who was later identified as Crook, police said.

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“Officers later confirmed it to be the same suspect through surveillance video, a police K-9 track, witness identification and suspect admission,” Granata told the newspaper.

The blue and white bags police said Crook loaded into the stolen SUV were laundry bags from a nearby hotel. He was also found in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Granata told the newspaper.

Crook was taken into custody and later released after posting a $300 bond. He also signed a promise to return to Bridgeport Superior Court on Oct. 29, Granata said.

But Crook came into contact with authorities for a second time that day less than an hour later after being released from custody when he was spotted lurking inside the Fairfield Fire Department’s headquarters, police said.

A lieutenant inside the building allegedly saw Crook walking around the facility before ransacking a fireman’s property. He was then arrested on charges of third-degree burglary and first-degree criminal trespass after cops responded to the headquarters on Reef Road, Granata said.

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Crook remained in custody as of Friday and is due to appear in court on Dec. 4, court records cited by Patch.com show.

Granata was unavailable to comment on the case Friday, Fairfield police said.