Man arrested with gun in Milford after handing tow truck driver keys to vehicle stolen in carjacking

A New Haven man has been arrested in Milford for having a gun following a bizarre incident in which he gave a tow truck driver the keys to a stolen car and walked away, according to police.

Lydell Elliot, 31, was arrested on charges of criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and first-degree larceny, according to the Milford Police Department.

Police said the incident was reported on Saturday at about 7:40 a.m. after a tow truck driver called police and reported a suspicious man. During an encounter involving a disabled vehicle, Milford police said, the suspect — later identified as Elliot — handed the tow truck driver the keys to a car, telling him it belonged to his brother and that he was “done putting money into it.” The man then walked toward the Pilot Travel Center, according to police.

Milford police discovered the vehicle had been stolen during a carjacking in Bridgeport.

Elliot was taken into custody at the Pilot Travel Center, where police said he began moving and “became fidgety” before disclosing to police he had a gun on him near his calf, police said. Milford police said they found the loaded firearm in addition to a razor blade in his pocket.

Elliot was held on a $25,000 bond and arraigned Tuesday in Milford Superior Court. Milford police said the carjacking investigation in Bridgeport is “ongoing.”