Valley Independent Sentinel

Serial Burglar Lands Six-Year Prison Sentence

by Ethan Fry | Nov 16, 2012 4:04 pm

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Posted to: Seymour, Shelton, Police

A Stratford man who led police on a high-speed chase on Route 8 last year pleaded guilty to a litany of crimes this week that will see him serve a six-year prison sentence.

The man, Douglas Fast, 48, was arrested last December after breaking into a house on Seymour’s Patrick Drive and fleeing after a resident of the house came home and called 911. Fast led police on a five-mile chase.

Police subsequently searched Fast’s Stratford home and found items taken in a multitude of burglaries throughout the region.

As his cases wound their way through the judicial system, authorities charged Fast with other burglaries in Shelton, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, Westport, Orange, Trumbull, Stratford, and Fairfield.

All told, Fast had 32 cases pending against him in Superior Court in Milford, where on Wednesday he entered guilty pleas to:

• 25 counts of third-degree burglary,

• Two counts of second-degree burglary,

• Five counts of first-degree larceny,

• Four counts of second-degree larceny,

• Four counts of third-degree larceny,

• Two counts of possession of narcotics,

• Single counts of first-degree burglary and carrying a dangerous weapon.

The last two counts — first-degree burglary and carrying a dangerous weapon — were related to the Seymour chase, which ended near exit 19 after the tires on his car were so shredded by police stop sticks that he could no longer drive it.

Press play on the YouTube video above to hear police radio dispatches from the pursuit.

When Fast got out of his car, Seymour police officers ordered him to show his hands, but Fast instead spun around, got into a “combat shooting type crouch” and put his hands together as if pointing a gun.

Police thought Fast was going for a “suicide by cop,” and didn’t fire. An officer tackled Fast, knocking him to ground, an affidavit supporting his arrest in one of the cases said.

In court Wednesday, Judge Frank Iannotti handed down a 15-year prison sentence to be suspended after Fast serves six years, followed by five years of probation.

While on probation, Judge Iannotti ordered Fast to undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment, barred him from contacting any of the victims of his burglaries, and ordered him to stay away from any of their residences.

The judge also ordered Fast to seek and maintain employment and pay restitution to the burglary victims “commensurate with his ability to pay.”

Fast was stealing and selling items to fuel his heroin addiction, according to authorities.

Valley Cases

A month after his initial arrest, Shelton police obtained warrants to charge Fast in two burglaries, on a Nov. 23, 2011 break-in on Isinglass Road and another Dec. 8, 2011 on Dome Drive.

Police said that in the Isinglass Road case, a 14-year-old girl was home when the burglary happened. She hid in her bedroom during the crime, police said.

Fast’s burglary spree in Seymour was more widespread, according to police. After his arrest in the case, they subsequently accused Fast of nine break-ins from Sept. 23, 2011 to Dec. 13, 2011.

In those break-ins, police said Fast took jewelry, cash, guns, and electronics from various homes.

A message was left at the office of Fast’s lawyer Friday.

Previous stories:

More Charges For Valley Burglary Suspect

Good Timing: Seymour Teen Leads Cops To Suspected Burglar

Seymour Police Arrest Suspect In Burglaries After High Speed Chase

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