Wallingford Crime Suppression Unit Makes Drug and Theft Arrests in February

Wallingford Crime Suppression Unit Makes Two Arrests in Early February

The Wallingford Police Department's Crime Suppression Unit made two arrests in the first week of February 2026, including a drug bust that followed a hotel surveillance operation and the recovery of a stolen motorcycle from a Walmart parking lot.

Madeline Dominello, 40, was arrested on February 1, during a traffic stop on Route 68 after police K-9 Kip alerted officers to narcotics in her vehicle, according to the police department. Five days later, on February 6, the unit collaborated with the Patrol Division to recover a stolen motorcycle and arrest a 16-year-old juvenile suspect following a brief pursuit.

Wallingford Hotel Surveillance Leads to Drug Arrest

The Dominello arrest stemmed from a Crime Suppression Unit investigation into suspected drug sales at the Homewood Suites on Miles Drive in Wallingford. Officers received information about a woman staying at the hotel who was possibly involved in the sale of illegal drugs, according to a police press release issued February 2. The Crime Suppression Unit conducted surveillance at the hotel before moving forward with the investigation.

Investigators identified Dominello as the subject of the investigation and obtained a search and seizure warrant. When officers spotted Dominello driving on Route 68 on February 1, they conducted a traffic stop. K-9 Kip, a department police dog, alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle during the stop, police said.

A search of the vehicle uncovered 12 grams of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and clonazepam, according to the police department. The presence of multiple drug types in the vehicle was consistent with the suspected distribution activity that prompted the investigation, police said in the press release.

Charges and $74,000 Bond in Wallingford Drug Case

Dominello was charged with possession of a controlled substance and use of drug paraphernalia. In addition to the drug charges, police discovered she had four outstanding warrants — three counts of second-degree failure to appear and one count of violation of probation.

She was held on a combined bond of $74,000 for all charges and was scheduled to appear in court on February 13, police said. Chief John Ventura authorized the press release announcing the arrest.

The investigation centered on narcotics distribution from the Wallingford hotel, according to the police press release. Police said Dominello was driving a red Subaru on Route 68 when officers initiated the traffic stop.

Stolen Motorcycle Recovered from Wallingford Walmart

In a separate case, the Crime Suppression Unit and Patrol Division recovered a stolen motorcycle from the Walmart parking lot on February 6, 2026. Officers arrested a 16-year-old juvenile suspect following a pursuit, according to a police press release dated February 11.

The Wallingford Police blotter published on February 25 included the motorcycle theft arrest among incidents documented between February 6 and February 13. Details about the circumstances of the theft and the pursuit were limited to the information in the police press release.

The juvenile suspect's name was not released due to their age, in accordance with Connecticut juvenile justice protocols. Specific charges related to the stolen motorcycle and the pursuit were detailed in the February 11 press release from the department. The pursuit and recovery underscore the Crime Suppression Unit's role in addressing property crime alongside narcotics enforcement in Wallingford.

Anyone with tips about illegal activity in Wallingford can submit information anonymously through the tip form on the department's website at police.wallingfordct.gov.

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