11:11pm—#Bridgeport Connecticut– Multiple calls for shots fired in the 1100 block of Hancock Avenue near Maplewood and Beechwood Avenue. So far now one reorted hit. One woman is reporting a bullet hole in her apartment.
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(Bridgeport, CT – March 21, 2013) – Two known gang members were charged this week in connection with a 2012 robbery that police preempted.
Frederick Whitaker, 27, of Stratford, and Clarence Hardy, 24, of Bridgeport, were brought from prison to Superior Court where they were arraigned Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery. Both had been jailed since their October arrest on related weapons charges.
The arrest was made by the State Police Gang Unit.
According to Bridgeport Sgt. Jason Amato, the unit developed information that two known members of the Bloods gang were planning an armed robbery.
On Oct. 24, Amato learned the pair was driving to Bridgeport to pick up two guns and then planned to travel to Milford to meet a man who wanted to sell them two semi-automatic pistols.
Whitaker and Hardy planned to rob this man of his firearms and money. The pair had gotten their guns and they were en route to Milford to commit the robbery when the gang unit, assisted by Bridgeport patrol officers and K-9 Officer Mark Martocchio, intercepted them at a gas station on Boston Avenue.
“Usually, it is hard to quantify how many crimes are prevented by good police work,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. “In this case, however, we know that a violent robbery did not happen because of our intervention.”
Police recovered two loaded firearms from the car and charged them with the gun offenses. They were jailed on $100,000 bond. Police this month submitted the warrant for the planned robbery . A judge set bond at $75,000 on the new conspiracy counts.
K-9 Convinces Suspect to Lie Down
(Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 28, 2013) – A 19-year-old thought better of bailing from a stolen vehicle when confronted by K-9 Trace and his partner Mark Martocchio. On Tuesday, Martocchio was on patrol when he spotted a 2013 Nissan Rogue that was listed on the daily stolen car sheet. The vehicle pulled into a gas station at Park and Wood avenues and the driver exited and walked toward the gas pump. He returned to the sport utility vehicle after seeing police. He tried to drive off but Martocchio blocked him in and exited the squad car with his K-9 Trace. The driver, Phillip Silas, 19, of Kelsey Street, started to bail out of the car but stopped when he heard the dog barking. The officer gave a verbal command to get on the ground or the dog will be released. “Silas looked over his shoulder and decided to lie down on the ground as requested,” Martocchio said.
There were no injuries, the stolen car was recovered and Silas was charged with first-degree larceny. His bond was set at $20,000.
Police Find Assault Suspect, Knife in Garage
A 32-year-old man was charged Thursday with assaulting a woman who had rebuffed his romantic advances. At 2:17 a.m., Officer Daniel Paz was sent to a gas station in the 1300 block of Noble Avenue for an assault victim. He found a 23-year-old female victim with cuts to her hands. She told Paz and Officer Michael Divila that she was watching television with a friend in her room when the assailant kicked in the door and attacked them with a knife. All three work together and live in the same multi-family house.As police and medics tended to the woman, who had defensive wounds to her hands, Officers Ean Smith and Roberto Quintanilla and Sgt. Robert Magnuson went to the location of the assault at 1251 Noble St. They found the male victim, 31, who gave the same account as the female victim. After some searching, the officers found the suspect, Pedro Ciriaco-Cantu, 32, hiding in a rear garage. He was placed under arrest and then showed police where he hid the knife. The suspect was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, possession of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. The female victim declined transport to the hospital. The male victim was taken to Bridgeport Hospital.
A man warming up his car in Bridgeport was in for a big surprise when a man jumped into the car, sped off towards Fairfield. The man who stole the car then went to Southport and robbed the Southport News at 3564 Post Road just after 1pm Tuesday. Police got a description from the shop owner and located the silver Buick and engaged it in pursuit. The chase ran through Fairfield and into Bridgeport where Bridgeport Police joined in the chase. The pursuit ended when the Buick almost crashed into the Maple Mart Grocery and Deli on Hancock Ave. A foot pursuit through the backyards before police caught up with him and brought him into custody. Sergeant Sue Lussier told us the suspect was wanted in connection in an attempted robbery at McDonald’s on Fairfield Avenue, Andros Diner on Villa Avenue and the Cumberland Farms at 975 Kings Highway. Police are still on the scene collecting evidence.
