Two solicitors in same week, one a fugitive

Last week, two men from two distant states, apparently selling the same product, were arrested on separate occasions, each for soliciting in Wilton without a permit, and one was held as a fugitive from justice on a $100,000 bond. On Oct. 6 around 1:30 p.m., Christopher Stebbins, 29, of 317 South Fifth Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., was picked up at 4 Erdmann Lane while attempting to sell cleaning products for a company called Sierra Solutions, based in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. He had no permit and no identification. Because he lived in another state, Stebbins was taken into custody for the infraction of soliciting without a permit in the town of Wilton, a town ordinance, and was later bonded out for $136, the price of that infraction. Two days later, on Oct. 8 around 2:41 p.m., police received a report of a man soliciting in the area of Pine Ridge Road, also selling cleaning products. When police made contact with the salesman, he gave his brother’s name as his own and explained that he was from Texas and did not have any state-issued identification. He did, however, possess two identification cards from Sierra Solutions in California. Police did not specify who they belonged to. He was taken into custody. Through records checks and fingerprints, the individual was identified as Mark Alan Cole, 36, of 2360 Marsh Lane, Dallas, Texas, and it was determined he had been using aliases in order to avoid being caught on an active warrant out for his arrest issued by the Dallas County Sheriff. According to Wilton police, the warrant was for a probation violation, and it was extraditable. For the crimes on Pine Ridge Road, Cole was charged with interfering with an officer, criminal impersonation, and soliciting without a permit, was given a bond of $5,000, and was arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court on Oct. 9. Because he was also a fugitive from justice from the state of Texas, Cole was concurrently held on a $100,000 bond for that charge and underwent a separate arraignment at Norwalk Superior Court, also on Oct. 9.

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