NEW BRITAIN -Police released new information Tuesday afternoon in Monday’s home invasion in Bristol and bomb scare in New Britain that describes the two men who are suspects in the case.
Police said the scheme began early Monday morning when two men broke into a home at 133 Lufkin Lane in Bristol. The suspects confronted the homeowner, Matthew Yussman, 46, when he returned home, and bound him and his mother, holding them over night, a police statement released Tuesday said.
Matthew Yussman is the Chief Financial Officer of Achieve Financial Credit Union. After daylight, the suspects strapped what appeared to be a bomb on Yussman and sent him to the New Britain branch of the credit union, “as a way to obtain money from the Credit Union,” police said. Police sources confirmed, Tuesday, that the device was not an actual bomb, but was made to look very real with an antenna and cell phone receptors. It did not contain any explosives, the sources said.
According to police, Yussman contacted another employee of the credit union when he arrived there and that employee contacted police. A significant law enforcement presence showed up to the credit union, shutting down a part of New Britain’s West Main Street and Route 72. The device strapped to Yussman was “rendered safe” by the Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad and turned over to the FBI for analysis. Yussman was given medical treatment for sitting in the unheated car. That car was seized for evidence by detectives.
Police also released information that the two suspects were seen in the vicinity of Tunxis Meade and Route 10 in Farmington on Monday morning, likely prompting the lockdown of several area schools.
Police said at least one of the males is white and of medium build. They both spoke fluent English, but have “distinct accents that were not consistent with being native to Connecticut,” according to a police statement. Police said they were dressed in dark clothing wearing ski-masks and ski goggles and may be driving an older model white four door Mazda.
The New Britain State’s Attorney’s office has formed a task force consisting of New Britain police and Bristol police to investigate the incident, with help from Connecticut State Police and the FBI.
Anyone with information relating to these events is asked to contact the New Britain Police Department at 860-826-3131 or the Bristol Police Department at 860-314-4570.