Police: Burglary Solved with DNA from Spit Traced to Burglar

The key piece of evidence in a New Canaan burglary that police say they've solved was some spit that an investigating police officer happened to see on a car tire, town police say.

The spit was spotted by the officer after the burglary on Frogtown Road was reported to police on Oct. 14, 2009. It took until March 11, 2013 for the state Forensic Science Laboratory to tell local police that the spittle had been identified as coming from the mouth of a man now living in Stamford, police said.

And on June 30, Flamur Thaqi, 27, of Limerick Street in Stamford, turned himself in after New Canaan police told him they had a warrant for his arrest.

New Canaan police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the matter:

Thousands of dollars worth of items were reported stolen from the home, including a flat-screen television, jewelry and a desktop computer.

At 11:42 p.m. on that October night, the 32-year-old son of the homeowner came home to find the place burglarized. A door leading to the attached garage was left opened, although the family would always leave it closed.

No fingerprints were ever found, but police believe entry was made through a window that was found closed but unlocked.

An officer who came to the scene found what looked like fresh spit dripping off a car tire at the residence and swabbed a bit of it, then sent it off to the state crime lab, which took years to come up with a match.

Thaqi wasn't someone known to the family and had no reason to be in the house.

Thaqi was charged with third-degree burglary and first-degree larceny. He was held on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear July 11 in state Superior Court in Norwalk.