Cop, Suspect Hop Eight Fences | New Haven Independent – New Haven Independent

A 25-year-old alleged burglar and stalker proved good at jumping fences. So did Officer Joshua Castellano.

The pairs fence-jumping skills were on display in the Hill neighborhood Monday afternoon in a chase that ended up in the 25-year-old mans arrest.

Heres what happened, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman:

A DeWitt Street homeowner saw a man crawling through a bedroom window at house around 3:45 p.m., screamed, slammed the door and called 911.

Officers Castellano and Jeremy Mastroianni responded.

The 25-year-old was by the house and saw the officers arrive. So he walked across the street, into a backyard, then took off running when Castellano ordered him to stop. Castellano chased him in a pursuit that found them both hopping the fences of eight residential properties.

Mastroianni, meanwhile, hopped in his cruiser, and saw the man fall to the pavement trying to scale a tall fence on Rosette Street. Mastroianni handcuffed and arrested him.

A 16-year-old woman from the neighborhood subsequently told police that shed seen her ex-boyfriend in the neighborhood and suspected he was hunting for her. (Police had arrested the man weeks earlier after he allegedly threatened her.) It turned out that 25-year-old fence-jumper was the same guy and had an outstanding domestic violence warrant.

Police charged the man with second-degree burglary, eight counts of third-degree trespassing, staking, and interfering with an officer.

Another foot chase took place four and a half hours later Monday, also in the Hill. This one didnt involve fences. It did involve a U-Haul truck.

Heres what happened, according to Hartman:

Cops were on the lookout for a stolen U-Haul. At 8:17 Officer Christian Carfora saw a driver of a U-Haul truck run a stop sign on Washington Avenue. So he pulled the truck over as it entered a deli parking lot on Ella Grasso Boulevard.

The trucks passenger bolted. Two offers who arrived on the scene, Garry Monk and David Lavorgna, chased the man on foot while Carfora stayed with the U-Haul driver.

The fleeing man had a pistol in his hand. The officers drew their guns as the man brought his hands together in a firing stance. The man then obeyed an order to drop the gun. A fight ensued on school property, ending with the officers wrestling the 26-year-old man to the ground and handcuffing him. The man, a convicted felon, had a loaded and chambered semi-automatic 9mm handgun on him. Cops charged him with a variety of weapons, interfering and reckless endangerment offenses.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old man in the U-Haul drivers seat told Carfora that he didnt know the man whod fled from his passenger seat moments earlier that he was just some guy whod been helping him. Police charged the driver with having a weapon in a motor vehicle, running the stop sign, and driving with a suspended license.

It turned out the truck was not the stolen one cops had been looking for.

I never had my license suspended, but I would not have thought DMV would let you keep it. And I would have thought any rental company would need to see a license before letting a vehicle.

Wow, the second case with the U-Haul clearly could have led to a shooting, whether at or by the police. Assuming all as reported is accurate, hats off to Officers Garry Monk and David Lavorgna for their bravery and restraint in not firing on a man in a firing stance with a loaded and chambered semiautomatic handgun. Thats the best kind of police work! Thank you!

I think its pretty amazing that the cops didnt shoot this guy after he assumed a firing stance. With all of the complaints on this site about perceived police brutality, this tells you a real story about the NHPDs temperament and discipline.

25 year old dating a 16 year old? Thats not cool - and it sounds like he puts his hands on her based on the domestic violence warrant.

High school students are still developing and learning to cope with adversity or even trauma - this nonsense has a seriously detrimental impact on their social and emotional maturation. Hopefully this young man can change his ways and treat women with respect. Also, I hope this young lady gets some counseling and understands that she is too good for men that disrespect her.

Police Chief Anthony Campbell said he wanted to focus on ending domestic violence in New Haven. Does NHPD offer any services for victims? Does NHPD attempt to address root causes of domestic violence? The laundry list of charges he faces are irrelevant to the issue that has caused all of this: domestic violence.

The UHaul..good job by good cops!

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Cop, Suspect Hop Eight Fences | New Haven Independent - New Haven Independent