A group of over 20 young people smashed windshields on Pendleton Street, assaulted a neighbor who tried to intervene, then fled when the cops pulled up, police said. Four arrests were made.
Here’s what happened according to Lt. Ray Hassett:
“A group appeared to be wilding,” Hassett said. The trouble began around 8 p.m. on Thursday when a group of over 20 teens and young adults started smashing property on Pendleton Street near Elm Street. When a young man confronted them, he was assaulted. “He held his own,” and wasn’t injured, Hassett said.
Hassett said he didn’t know how the rampage started, but it proceeded north on Pendleton Street from Elm Street. “They came up wreaking havoc on that block.”
After neighbors called police, Hassett caught up with the group on Whalley Avenue and Hubinger Street. The group scattered, but police were able to arrest one juvenile and three adults.
“That’s all we were able to grab of the marauding crowd,” Hassett said.
Charges included assault and criminal mischief.
In other news, according to police spokesman Officer Joe Avery:
Narc Squad Snares Gun
For the second time in three months, the city’s narc squad raided a home on Winchester Avenue. This time they made an arrest, recovered a gun, and seized some drug paraphernalia.
It was one of two raids on Thursday in the Newhallville neighborhood. Police served two search and seizure warrants in response to recent violence in the area.
The first warrant was served at 554 Winchester Ave. The narcotics unit raided this location on Jan. 6 after concluding that people were selling drugs there. Complaints of drug-dealing continued even after that raid.
As officers arrived at the house on Thursday, they spotted the target of their investigation standing outside. The 23-year-old man quickly tried to stash something in a car. Police detained him and found a loaded .22 caliber gun in the backseat of the car. They arrested the man, a convicted felon who was carrying the pistol without a permit. Police also charged him with risk of injury to a minor. There were two small children present.
Police seized a small amount of drug paraphernalia from the house’s second floor apartment.
Police executed a second search at 96/98 Cherry Ann St. The warrant was obtained after an investigation found that crack was being sold there. Detectives forced entry into the home. They didn’t find the person they were looking for and no evidence was seized.
Shots Fired
Shots were fired at 5:18 p.m. on Thursday on Greenwood Avenue. Witnesses told police they saw a Nissan Altima pick up a man in a green sweater who had a gun. The man fired shots at 111 Greenwood Ave. Police recovered three shell casings and a bullet.
Alleged Robber Arrested
On Friday morning, Officers Salvatore Rodriquez and Daryll Cargill, arrested a New Haven man in connection with several recent bank robberies in West Haven. Officer Rodriguez developed the investigation with West Haven police.
Crime Map
Click here for a list of major crimes for March 18. Click on the image below to see those incidents placed on a citywide map.
NHPD
For block-by-block year-to-date crime information, plus daily crime maps, check out the Independent’s Crime Log.
FYI - The youths call it "wylin'" not "wilding". That looks silly.