Burlington police had to abandon high-speed chases multiple times this week, in pursuit of a man driving a stolen car “in a careless and negligent manner.”
Ian Gardner, 32, was first identified as the suspect in a weekend incident, after police received a report of a car theft on Maple Street. Inside the car were credit cards, which police said the thief had used at various locations around Burlington and South Burlington, racking up hundreds of dollars in charges.
Monday morning, police observed the stolen vehicle being driven on Main Street and identified Gardner as the driver. Officer Connor Palmateer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Gardner fled the scene.
Palmateer tried to follow, but quickly “made a public safety decision” to terminate the pursuit, according to the press release, as Gardner drove the car in a “careless and negligent manner” at high speeds through Burlington’s downtown.
Tuesday morning, South Burlington police located the stolen car near Dorset Street. When officers tried to conduct a traffic stop, the driver fled. After a brief pursuit, they too abandoned the chase out of concern for public safety, noting that the car was being driven on the grass, in the opposite lane of traffic, and headed the wrong way on I-89.
The car was later found abandoned in Colchester.
Burlington police issued a warrant for Gardner’s arrest. He has been charged with two felonies: eluding law enforcement and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, along with a misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor, and six misdemeanor counts of credit card fraud.
Gardner is currently under Department of Corrections supervision, after being convicted in the near-fatal beating of a woman during a drug-deal-turned-robbery in 2013, with the help of his then-girlfriend. He was sentenced for 8 to 14 years.
Police urged residents to lock their vehicles, store their keys safely, and avoid leaving valuable items visible inside cars to minimize the likelihood of having property stolen. Anyone with information about Gardner’s whereabouts is asked to call the Burlington Police Department at (802) 658-2704.
