Suspect Sought In East Rock Mugging

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by Melissa Bailey | Aug 17, 2010 5:59 pm

(7) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Legal Writes, East Rock

Melissa Bailey Photo A woman was taken to the hospital Tuesday afternoon after she was struck in the head during a daytime robbery next to the Hooker School.

The mugging took place shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday behind 665 Whitney Ave., a U-shaped apartment complex.

The victim was a Yale-affiliated woman, according to police. A man took her purse and stole some money, police said. The perpetrator had not been located as of press time.

At 1 p.m., medics wheeled the victim away in a stretcher. She was taken to a hospital to be treated for head injuries. Police said she was mugged behind the apartment complex by an unknown man. The man struck her in the head, causing her glasses to cut her face. Medics wrapped her head to stem bleeding.

The injuries were non-life threatening, police said.

Tuesday afternoon, police worked to piece together the robbery, and figure out how the mugger got away.

A construction worker on Everit Street filled in some of the details. The worker, who gave his name only as Frank, said he saw a man riding a bicycle down Everit very slowly, looking from side to side. The man then ditched the bike and entered a driveway on Everit that leads to the rear of 665 Whitney, he said.

“He never come back,” reported Frank, a Polish immigrant who spoke in broken English. Frank said seven or eight minutes after the man entered the driveway, the first police cruiser arrived at the scene. He considered that to be a quick response—in Poland, he said, one might wait an hour for the first cop to show.

The mugging took place behind 665 Whitney Ave., police said. The perpetrator took the woman’s purse. He then dumped the contents in a nearby parking lot. Police stood over the parking lot Tuesday, where a black purse and car keys lay in a small heap, along with a red pen and a flapping piece of paper. Nearby lay one red apple.

At one point, an officer combing the scene announced a discovery: “Here’s a cell phone!” It wasn’t clear if the phone belonged to the victim or the perpetrator.

Police never found a bicycle, nor did anyone see the assailant flee the scene. Police continued to canvass Everit Street Tuesday afternoon in search of more clues.

Comments

posted by: streever on August 17, 2010 5:20pm

I hope you get better soon! and that the police find the perpetrator. Seems like criminals are getting bold again.

posted by: Brian M. on August 17, 2010 6:00pm

It’s a good thing we have a police department dedicated to harassing bike riders and kids on training wheels who use sidewalks. Otherwise, we’d have daytime muggings going on in otherwise safe neighborhoods.

posted by: visitor on August 17, 2010 11:45pm

Interesting what Brian M. said:
“It’s a good thing we have a police department dedicated to harassing bike riders and kids on training wheels who use sidewalks. Otherwise, we’d have daytime muggings going on in otherwise safe neighborhoods.”

PLEASE don’t let New Haven be like this because then you will have…HARTFORD. Let’s not go that route!

posted by: streever on August 18, 2010 7:04am

eastrockneighbors.com: you can post photos of anything suspicious (along with day/time and location) and sign up to do a neighborhood walk/bike ride to talk to people or see what other people are doing on the calendar:
eastrockneighbors.com/calendar

posted by: Chris on August 18, 2010 1:51pm

Brian M.

So whats the solution? Should police patrol neighborhoods which are traditionally safe or enforce the LAW on bikers who are breaking it?

posted by: bunker on August 18, 2010 2:07pm

I’m glad the author was able to give a description of the “Polish” immigrant witness right down to his accent but NO description of the perpetrator AT ALL !!

posted by: JasonM on September 5, 2010 6:15pm

bunker - YES.

So there is a mugger on the loose, and the description of the mugger is not considered pertinent information in a news story?

Are you KIDDING ME?

Could it possibly be that not hurting the feelings of those citizens who may physically resemble the suspect, is more important than telling other potential victims whom to watch out for?

Yes - political correctness is more important than solving crimes. I’m sure everyone will be on the lookout for the “man.” Right.

Absolutely disgusting.

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