The Bridgeport Police arrested two men from the New Haven area on Thursday after they robbed the Gala Foods Supermarket at 1457 Fairfield Avenue at knifepoint and then engaged officers in a motor vehicle pursuit.
Osvaldo Beard-Beltran 30, of North Haven, was charged with Robbery in the Second Degree, Carrying a Dangerous Weapon, Assault in the Third Degree, Threatening in the Second Degree, Breach of Peace in the Second Degree, Larceny in the Sixth Degree, Illegal Possession of a Weapon in a Motor Vehicle and Engaging Police in a Pursuit. He was given a bond of $100,000.
Giovanni Rivera, 35, of New Haven, was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Second Degree, Illegal Possession of a Weapon in a Motor Vehicle and Conspiracy to Commit Larceny in the Sixth Degree. He was given a bond of $50,000.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the two men began to walk out of the store without paying for approximately $500 in meat they placed in a shopping cart – some of which was cut for them by a butcher. When an employee attempted to stop them, Beard-Beltran pushed the shopping cart out of that employee’s grasp, pulled a large knife from his waistband, and slammed the knife down on the shopping cart.
A second employee confronted the suspects outside when they were loading the stolen meat into a white Volvo. Beard-Beltran then pointed the knife at that employee and threatened him.
A Bridgeport officer later spotted the Volvo on the East Side of Bridgeport. Bridgeport Police and the Connecticut State Police pursued the Volvo on Route 8, the Merritt Parkway, and the Wilbur Cross Parkway until it crashed into a UPS truck on a local street in Woodbridge. Beard-Beltran fled to a nearby car occupied by a woman driver and attempted to open the driver’s side door. He was unsuccessful and was taken into custody. Rivera was arrested at the scene of the crash.
The knife used in the robbery was located inside the Volvo.
The Woodbridge Police are investigating the crash and the incident with the female driver.
One of the Gala Foods employees suffered a minor hand injury when Beard-Beltran pushed the shopping cart out of his hand.
Police believe the suspects sold the meat to a smaller store in Bridgeport before they were arrested.