Counterfeiters Arrested, Officer Hospitalized [Update]

A Westport police officer was hospitalized after being in a car accident while apprehending a suspected counterfeiter in downtown Westport.

Officer Wilgins Altera was responding to assist in a foot chase, and was involved in a traffic accident at the corner of Post Road East and Imperial Avenue. He suffered minor injuries and was transported to Norwalk Hospital, reported police.

According to the police, at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday a suspect who allegedly passed counterfeit bills earlier that was was located. While the suspect was being arrested, his accomplice drove by in a gray BMW that son began speeding and driving recklessly through downtown Westport.

Officers lost site of the car, but then spotted it at the corner of Post Road West and Route 33 after it hit a telephone pole. The suspect took off running and was soon caught.

Jose Puello, 26, of Bronx, N.Y., was the driver and charged with reckless driving, four counts of first-degree forgery, four counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, three counts of sixth-degree larceny and four count of conspiracy to commit larceny.

Surujbhan Chaitram, 19, of Bronx, N.Y., was charged with four counts of first-degree forgery, four counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, three counts of sixth-degree larceny and four counts of conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny.

Clarification: The original article referred to this as a chase through downtown Westport, when the suspect was instead spotted in downtown Westport and later found crashed. That's when the brief chase ensued.