Plan to retrieve stolen goods goes down drain

East Lyme - A local man faces a variety of charges after police found him trying to retrieve stolen property from a storm drain.

Police said they came across Luis Valasco, 31, of 22 Bush Hill Road, Friday stretched out on the side of Flanders Road trying to pull what police said was a stolen coin collection from the drain. They said the coins had come from a burglary with which Valasco had been involved. Valasco was also in possession of a credit card stolen in the same burglary, they said.

Based on their investigation, police charged Valasco with larceny by possession, sixth-degree larceny and illegal use of the highway by a pedestrian.

When their investigation took the police to a room Valasco had rented at the Best Value Inn, they discovered that he was also in possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

Valasco was also was charged with possession of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school, day care or public housing, possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of a school, day care or public housing and possession of a stolen credit card.