Three Branford men, one young, one old and one in-between, have been charged with a variety of crimes in Branford over a six-hour period that ended early Tuesday morning.
The youngest of the men charged was Eric Kousen, 26, of 13 Pentecost St. in Short Beach. He was accused of drug possession and possession of burglary tools.
Running A Red Light, Etc
Police said in a release that at about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Officer Luigi Amasino noticed Kousen drive through a red light at the intersection of Main and North Main Streets. Amasino was joined by Sgt. Dominick Eula and they pulled over Kousen’s car.
While one officer interviewed Kousen, the other noticed a glass smoking-pipe with a “rock-like” substance “in plain view,” in the front passenger compartment of the car, according to Capt. Geoff Morgan. The substance later tested positive for cocaine.
Lt. John Alves said both items were consistent with smoking rock cocaine and later tested positive for cocaine. Officers also located tools including a glass break tool, flat-headed screwdriver, mini crow bar and a mini sledge hammer, tools commonly used in the act of committing burglaries.
Kousen has a prior criminal record. He was arrested in 2012 and 2013 for larceny, marijuana possession, and violation of probation, all misdemeanors. He was not sentenced to prison.
He faces current charges of possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacturing/possession of burglary tools, failure to obey a traffic light, and refusal to be fingerprinted.
He was held on $5,000 bond and is to appear in Superior Court in New Haven on Oct. 10.
Running A‑Foot of a Robbery
At about the same time, 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Anthony Gambardella, 56, of 45 Harrison Ave., was found by police after he attempted to rob a woman at an outdoor ATM at the Webster Bank at 1 South Main St. His victim was completing a nightly work deposit at an ATM from her vehicle, police say.
Gambardella approached the victim from the driver’s side of her car window, ordering her to hand over money. He claimed he had a gun. However, when police arrived on the scene they were unable to locate a gun.
The victim informed Gambardella the deposit was just made and she no longer had the money. Gambardella reached into his pants pocket and threatened to shoot her, then reached inside the victim’s car in attempt to grab her purse, police said.
The victim stepped on the gas and drove away, running over Gambardella’s left foot. She called police.
When officers arrived on the scene, Gambardella was lying on the pavement in front of the ATM. He told police his foot had been run over and was treated by Fire Department paramedics. He was transported to a nearby medical facility for foot injuries.
Gambardella, who has had prior misdemeanor arrests, was charged with first-degree robbery, a felony, first-degree threatening, breach of peace and a sixth-degree criminal attempt to commit larceny. At his court appearance, he was held on $25,000 bond.
Running from Gunshots in the Dark
For the past 18 months, the police have confronted an ongoing mystery. Who was shooting a gun at various hours around town, at the Supply Pond and in the North Chestnut and North Main Street areas?
Police investigating the complaints said they had only determined that a dark-colored vehicle might be involved.
Then, just after 7 p.m. Monday evening, patrons at a restaurant complained to police that gunshots could be heard in an area under construction at 250 North Main St., police say.
Sgt. Philip Ramey said when Officers Amber Radomski and Christopher Romanello arrived, they found Howard Titus, 81, of 30 Rose St., in a dark red vehicle.
When the officers interviewed Titus, he told them he had firearms in the back of the vehicle . Officers located two .22 caliber rifles and a .45 caliber handgun in Titus’s possession.
Titus later admitted to firing the weapons on a number of occasions at locations throughout Branford. He also told them that on this night he was shooting at a dirt mound. Police did not say why he was shooting at a dirt mound.
Titus was charged with unlawfully discharging a firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, criminal trespass and breach of peace. Titus, who has no prior criminal record, was released on a $2,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 20.
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