A stolen car tore through Fairfield's South Benson Marina and the Jennings Beach area, smashing into fences, gates and other vehicles before police flattened its tires and took the driver into custody. Fairfield police arrested 35-year-old Michael Clapp of Norwalk in connection with the rampage, which they say began with a car reported stolen earlier the same day with the keys left inside.
According to the New Haven Register, police said the vehicle had been reported stolen from Cambridge Street, and as reported by WTNH, officers say it was taken after the owner left the keys inside. Police said Clapp sped away when officers tried to stop him, and that officers chose not to chase the vehicle as it continued through the marina and beach area.
Instead, police deployed tire-deflation devices near Reef Road and Quincy Street, disabling the car. Clapp allegedly resisted when officers moved in, but the station's report notes he was ultimately taken into custody after the brief struggle.
Thousands in Damage at the Marina and Beach
Police say Clapp's path through South Benson Marina and the Jennings Beach area left behind damaged fences, gates and several vehicles, with officers estimating thousands of dollars in property damage. Officers also described Clapp as a convicted felon who has had previous interactions with Fairfield police, according to the same outlet.
Clapp faces a lengthy list of charges stemming from the incident, including first- and second-degree criminal mischief, larceny of a motor vehicle, interfering with an officer, second-degree reckless endangerment and engaging police in pursuit. The New Haven Register reported that he was held on bond and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on Nov. 24.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Unlocked Cars and Pursuits
The case echoes a problem Fairfield police have flagged repeatedly in recent years: cars stolen simply because keys were left inside. The Fairfield Police Department has said it responded to more than 48 thefts from motor vehicles and 17 stolen-vehicle complaints since September 2024, and a department analysis found that most vehicles stolen in 2024 had been left unlocked with the keys inside, per Patch. That outlet also reported that vehicle thefts in town had actually dropped, from 35 between Jan. 1 and April 28, 2024, down to 15 over the same stretch in 2025.
Tire-deflation devices have become a familiar tool for Fairfield officers facing fleeing drivers who refuse to stop. In November 2024, the department used one to disable a vehicle on the I-95 northbound on-ramp off North Benson Road; the driver, a 17-year-old from New Haven, abandoned the car and was caught after a brief foot chase, per the department's own account. In a separate case reported by Patch, 28-year-old Jaime Delarosa was charged with engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license after a vehicle connected to a larceny failed to stop and was later found disabled on an I-95 entrance ramp in Bridgeport — another instance where officers again declined to give chase.
