#Bridgeport, CT – Jan. 17, 2014 – In a story we reported live as it was happening: Police are releasing the identity of a man who stabbed a woman during an apparent robbery attempt.
The suspect has been identified as Ernesto Rivera, 26, of Sanford Place. He was charged with criminal attempt at murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, first-degree robbery and unlawful restraint. His bond was set at $150,000.
Officers Sarah Nestlen and Cody Remy responded to the intersections of Park and Benham avenues on a report of an assault Thursday afternoon.
Police subsequently learned that the victim, 25, was sitting in her car when a male approached, knocked on her window and asked for a cigarette. She recognized him because they had just been in line at the same time at a drug-treatment facility.
When she rolled down the window, however, he entered the car and demanded her belongings. When she said “no”, he stabbed her several times. A 23-year-old man came to her aid and suffered a superficial wound to his chest.
The suspect fled on foot but, through an investigation and cooperation from the community, police learned the suspect’s identity.
Police received information about where the suspect lived, and Officers Anthony Gianpoalo and Julio Diez responded there. They found Rivera hiding in a closet and placed him under arrest.
The female victim suffered a serious injury but it does not appear to be life threatening.
