BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) -- Bennington Police arrested Jonathan R. Sprowson, Rebecca Luczynski, and Hailey M. Smith after a theft investigation at Home Depot on September 30. Police reported a customer saw Sprowson leaving without paying. An off-duty officer also saw this take place, following Sprowson out of the store.
Officers reported a customer saw Sprowson leaving a Home Depot without paying for many items. The customer told a store employee who asked Sprowson to stop but he did not. Police report that an off-duty officer followed Sprowson out of the store to an awaiting car where he told Sprowson he was a policeman and asked him to stop. Allegedly, Luczynski and Smith were in the car waiting, Luczynski being the driver.
Police reported that Sprowson pulled away from the officer, got in the car, and told the driver to leave. Allegedly, Sprowson left the passenger side door open while Luczynski drove away, causing the off-duty officer to jump into the car to avoid being hit or run over. Police reported the officer tried to get Luczynski to stop the car but refused, leaving the off-duty officer clinging to the car while driving around the Home Depot parking lot.
Police report Luczynski eventually stopped, Sprowson and Smith left the car and ran across North Bennington Road to a Chili's parking lot. The officer reportedly chased the two and was able to take Sprowson into custody, turning him over to arriving on-duty Bennington police. Police report Smith was taken into custody later that day.
According to police, Luczynski drove away but was followed by a driver who saw the incident in the Home Depot parking lot and contacted the Bennington Police. Bennington Officers were able to stop Luczynski and take her into custody without any further incidents. Officers recovered $1,892 worth of stole merchandise from Home Depot. Police reported the off-duty officer had minor injuries to her lower legs as a result of the incident.
Sprowson, Smith, and Luczynski were issued bail in the amount of $10,000 each with conditions of release to appear in Vermont Superior Court-Bennington Criminal Division on Monday, October 3, at 12:30 p.m. They were held at Marble Valley Correctional Facility until their arraignments.
