Branford P.D.
Mark Balzano
A father and son, furious after learning of a dispute between a teen and a female relative, took matters into their own hands last night. According to police, the father went after the boy with a baseball bat and attempted to choke him in the Kohl’s rear parking lot. The boy, 16, then fled into the nearby Big Y supermarket, where he was attacked by the son, according to police.
Mark Balzano, 49, who lives in Branford and runs a trucking business, got out of his car with a bat and approached a group of four or five kids in Kohl’s rear lot, police said. A commotion with loud shouting ensued. Then he and his son Brandyn Balzano, 19, ran after the teen as he fled into the nearby Big Y supermarket. A fight ensued at the back of the Big Y.
Soon after both Mark and Brandyn Balzano were taken into custody at the Big Y, police said. The younger Balzano lives at 88 Pinski Drive, which is also the address of his father’s business.
Capt. Geoffrey Morgan told the Eagle that one teen appeared to be their target. The fight centered on the teen’s involvement with a female family relative. He did not give additional details about the nature of the dispute between the girl and boy, how long their dispute had been going on or what prompted last night’s actions.
Sgt. Philip Ramey said officers responded to the shopping plaza on a report of a man attacking someone with a baseball bat. A person reported seeing the elder Balzano attack the teen in the back of the Kohl’s plaza at 1075 West Main St. at about 7:15 p.m. Monday.
The altercation between the Balzanos and the teens then moved from the rear of Kohl’s to the Big Y. Inside the Big Y, shoppers directed the police to a section of the store where a fight had erupted between the boy and Brandyn Balzano. At one point the boy, clearly terrified, sought to hide in the supermarket.
After a short search, the police department’s new K‑9 German Shepherd, Joker, found the teen.
Officer Luigi Amasino, Joker’s handler, took the teen, who had been fighting with Brandyn Balzano into custody. Also taken into custody was a 17-year-old boy whom police said was also involved in the fighting.
Mark Balzano, the father, was charged with first-degree strangulation, a class C felony, second-degree threatening, and breach of peace. He was released on $1,000 bond and is due in New Haven Superior Court on July 21.
Brandyn Balzano was charged with breach of peace, a misdemeanor. Police said he was released on a written promise to appear.
Authorities also arrested a 16-year-old and 17-year-old who were involved in the fight. Police said the teens were each charged with breach of peace and released to the custody of their parents. Their names were not released because they are juveniles.
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