HARTFORD — Police have arrested Brayan Villegas, 26, after he confessed to discharging a shotgun, fleeing the scene, and abandoning the shotgun at a playground in 2016.
Police said they conducted an investigation and obtained an arrest warrant for Villegas. Police said he was taken into custody during a probation meeting Thursday where he was charged with reckless endangerment and altering identification marks on a firearm.
In July 2016, police said a Shot Spotter detection system alerted officers that two shots had been fired in the area of 493 Zion Street, police said. Officers found three spent 12-gauge shotgun shells nearby.
Police searched the area, but did not find any victims. Witnesses said a person was seen running west towards Park Terrace but did not catch up with him or her.
After searching the playscape at Pope Park, police found a Benelli U.S.A Corp. M3 Super 90 Shotgun, and three live PDX1 Winchester 12-gauge shotgun rounds. The shotgun had an obliterated serial number, police said.
Police K-9’s did not track down anyone in the area.