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Connecticut Man Accused Of One Kidnapping May Have Info About Missing DoorDash Driver
Detectives believe Chris Lemke, who currently faces a slew of charges related to a kidnapping and police chase, can “provide them with information to help locate” Carlos Reyes, a DoorDash driver who vanished in March shortly before his car was found torched.
A Connecticut man accused of theft, armed kidnapping and fleeing police last week may also have information related to a man who was working as a DoorDash driver when he mysteriously disappeared a month ago, police said.
Christopher Lemke, 33, was taken into police custody on Thursday after he allegedly took a person hostage at gunpoint in Danbury, Connecticut and ran from authorities.
However, investigators now suspect he may have valuable information about the separate disappearance of food delivery driver Carlos Reyes, who vanished in late March.
Reyes, 20, was last seen by his family on the evening of March 28. His 2008 gray Infiniti car was later found burning on the side of a road in Old Milltown Road near Brewster, New York — which is just 10 miles west of Danbury. No signs of Reyes were found in the vicinity of the vehicle fire, which took several firefighters to extinguish.
On April 14, City of Danbury police officers executed a search and seizure warrant related to the theft of a handgun Lemke was suspected of stealing. Upon arrival at the property, Lemke allegedly ran from officers, who gave chase.
They lost Lemke after he sprinted to a wooded area but, when he emerged from the woods, he allegedly illegally entered an unlocked home, took an individual hostage and then fled in a stolen vehicle, Danbury daily newspaper The News-Times reported.
The 33-year-old was captured by state law enforcement about 18 miles away in Southbury, Connecticut. He was allegedly in possession both of the stolen firearm for which police had been searching and of “other contraband,” Detective Lt. Mark Williams of the City of Danbury Police Department said in a prepared statement.
City of Danbury Police now say Lemke may also know something about Reyes’ disappearance.
“During their investigation, the Danbury Police Department investigators learned that Lemke might have information related to Carlos Reyes, a local man reported missing at the end of March 2022,” the City of Danbury Police Department added in a statement. “As Lemke was also directly related to the April 7 search warrant execution at a Ball Pond Road residence, investigators are hopeful he can provide them with information to help locate Reyes or his whereabouts.”
Authorities didn’t specify as to the nature of the information which led them to suspect Lemke has information about Reyes’ disappearance, nor what they were seeking at the Ball Pond Road property — which is on the very north end of Danbury.
Lemke is currently charged with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a pistol, illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen firearm, evading police and reckless driving, court records obtained by Oxygen.com show. He faces additional drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges. The Danbury man is being held on a $1,000,000 bond. It's unclear if he's retained legal representation.
A spokesperson for both the Connecticut State Police and one for the City of Danbury Police Department were not immediately available to answer questions about what possible information Lemke may have about Reyes’ disappearance.
Reyes is described as being five-feet and 10 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair.
Anyone with information related to the open case can make an anonymous tip to the City of Danbury Police Department by calling 203-790-TIPS.
