NEW BRITAIN — A 23-year-old city resident who police said severely injured a man by striking him the head with a blunt object was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal attempt to commit murder.
Luis Gonzalez of Noble Street also was charged with first-degree assault and with third-degree assault — a charge that stems from a separate case. He was in custody Thursday morning on more than $750,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in Superior Court later in the day, police said.
The victim was found unconscious at the intersection of Smalley and Stanley streets on Dec. 29. Police said they initially thought he had been struck by a car.
He was transported to a trauma center and treated for life-threatening injuries.
As police investigated, they learned that the man had not been hit by a car but was struck by a blunt object, similar to a baseball bat. The blow to the head caused permanent injuries, police said.
Gonzalez became a suspect when investigators heard he had an ongoing feud with the victim, police said.. Gonzalez, who was wanted on a charge in an unrelated incident, eluded police and could not be found.
The victim regained his ability to communicate on Feb. 12 and confirmed that Gonzalez was the person who assaulted him, police said.
He was taken into custody Thursday at his Noble Street apartment.
By Christine Dempsey, Hartford Courant