City police arrested two men after breaking up an armed home invasion and attempted robbery in Fair Haven.
Department spokesperson Capt. Anthony Duff announced those arrests in an email press release sent out Friday afternoon.
He wrote that city police responded on Thursday just after 12:30 a.m. to a report of a burglary in progress at a home on Dover Street between Atwater Street and Park Place.
“Arriving officers learned suspects were still inside the occupied dwelling,” Duff wrote. “Officers made entry into the building and in a living room, confronted a suspect holding a handgun; a second suspect armed with a knife; and a third suspect as he assaulted a resident.”
That third suspect was in the process of strangling the resident in the living room, according to the release. That third suspect succeeded in fleeing the house and escaping from the officers. Duff said the investigation of the third suspect is ongoing.
Police were able to detain the two other suspects, however. One is an 18-year-old man from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The other is a 31-year-old New Haven man.
According to Duff, the 18-year-old man was armed with a handgun and wearing a black ski mask. When the police arrived, he retreated toward the kitchen, where he dropped his firearm and “began to physically fight officers.”
The cops seized the loaded firearm, and eventually handcuffed the 18-year-old suspect as their struggle with him ranged from the kitchen to the living room.
The 31-year-old second suspect was also wearing a black ski mask, and was armed with a knife, according to the report. Duff said that he fled at the same time as the first suspect, with the loaded gun, retreated to the kitchen.
The man with the knife ran into a bedroom and jumped out a first-floor window, Duff wrote.
Police chased him on foot through a series of adjacent rear yards. When they caught up with him, an officer tackled him and, as the suspect continued to fight, the officers took him into custody.
Duff wrote that American Medical Response personnel responded to the scene and treated one of the suspects for a minor injury. The officers then transported the two suspects to the New Haven Police Department’s detention center at 1 Union Ave.
“Officers learned the three suspects forced their way into the house and their motive was robbery,” he concluded.
The 18-year-old New Jersey man has been charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit home invasion, carrying a pistol without a permit, altering or removing serial number on a firearm, possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine, reckless endangerment first degree, and interfering with an officer.
The 31-year-old New Haven man has been charged with home invasion, conspiracy to commit home invasion, reckless endangerment first degree, interfering with an officer, and fugitive from justice (for a Vermont parole violation arrest warrant).
On Thursday morning, officers transferred the two suspects to arraignment hearings in state Superior Court at 121 Elm St.
The 18-year-old suspect was held in lieu of $75,000 bail, and the 31-year-old was held on a parole detainer and in lieu of $125,000 bail.
