A 66-year-old Derby man got more than he bargained for when he came to New Haven to buy sex.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. Sunday. Here’s what happened, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman:
The 66-year-old man (as he later admitted to police) picked up a prostitute near Chapel Street and Ellsworth Avenue. She got into his 2009 Honda Accord, directed him to the Edgewood Park duck pond off Chapel. He parked. A man approached his car, showed a gun, demanded money. The man complied, handing the money over to the prostitute. Then the prostitute told him to get out of the car — “as they were going to take his car as well.”
The man said no. The man handed his gun to the prostitute — “who claimed to be a police officer” and allegedly fired a shot toward the victim, shattering his car’s side window.
At that point, the victim agreed to get out of the car. The woman got into the driver’s seat; her accomplice got in the car, too. The pair drove away.
Some three hours later, Officers Cailtin Zerella and Derek Huelsman spotted the Accord traveling near Waverly Street and Gilbert Avenue. The officers stopped the car and ended up arresting the pair. The woman, who’s 33, “has a lengthy criminal history including multiple arrests for prostitution, second-degree robbery, first-degree escape from custody, first-degree larceny, sale of narcotics and others,” according to Hartman. The man, who’s 49, is currently on probation; his criminal history includes “arrests for assault on a police officer, first and third-degree burglaries, first and third-degree robberies, and narcotics sales.” The officers found a High Point .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun inside the Honda.
The woman claimed to police that she and her partner were indeed robbing the man but said the gun belonged to him — and that they “overpowered him,” took his gun and fired the shot “only in self-defense,” then drove away in order to escape him. The victim denied that story.
The gun had not been reported stolen.
At this point, police are charging the duo with first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, and firearms-related offenses.
Today’s Most Incompetent Robber
Officer Hartman also had news about a foiled robbery that occurred Saturday evening at Sam’s Mart at 14 Kimberly Ave.
A man in face mask and sunglasses came in and passed a note demanding money. Then he “pointed a finger” at the clerk to “simulate” that he had a gun. “But he didn’t have his hand in his pocket.”
The clerk wasn’t scared.
“He grabbed the man’s finger and told him he’d break it if he didn’t get out of his shop,” Hartman reported. So the would-be robber fled.
Drove by this seen yesterday and saw the John talking to cops. Thanks for the info.
Suburban criminals,
Let's just keep our purchases in Derby next time... or maybe not at all k?