State Police: Arrests Made in Burglary Spree in Durham

State police have charged three suspects in a rash of residential burglaries in Durham and several other nearby towns over the winter.

On Tuesday, police served arrest warrants for Dane Tilley, 30, of Middletown, Shane Martingano, 31, of Hartford, and Derek Perini, 30, of Hartford, according to Connecticut State Police Sgt. Sal Calvo.

The trio, as well as a fourth suspect, are accused of carrying out several burglaries in Durham, Middlefield, Haddam and Killingworth between November and January, Calvo said.

"In many of these burglaries, suspects used window punches to force their way into homes. Pillow cases used to carry jewelry were recovered in the suspects' residence in Hartford," Calvo said.

Investigators say the suspects traded the stolen items, which also included electronics, for drugs in the Hartford area where Martingano and Perini shared an apartment together. The items were then sold to pawn shops, Calvo said.

All three men are charged with third degree burglary, third degree larceny, third degree criminal mischief, third degree conspiracy to commit burglary, third degree conspiracy to commit larceny and third degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.

The suspects are also charged with theft of a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm.

All three men are currently incarcerated, Calvo said.

The fourth suspect, an unnamed female, is currently being held at a state correctional facility but has yet to be charged in the burglaries, he said.

During the investigation into the burglaries, police linked all three men to a tan, 1998 Chevy S-10 pickup truck spotted by witnesses at several of the the break-ins. A second vehicle, described as a green, 1997 Honda Civic, was linked to the fourth suspect.

Tilley and Martingano were arrested on similar charges earlier this year for burglaries in Durham and Middletown. Both men have a long criminal history. 

The investigation remains ongoing and the suspects may face additional charges in other nearby burglaries, Calvo said.

"We're confident with what we have right now that we've solved many of the burglaries that have happened in the towns during this timeline," Calvo said.

Haddam Resident State Trooper Enrico Milardo and Durham Resident State Trooper Peter DiGioia led the investigation, along with assistance from police detectives in Middletown, Cromwell and Rocky Hill.