BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Bridgeport police made nearly two dozen arrests in a warrant sweep Tuesday, all of which stem from various domestic violence cases.
Police hope that the arrests made under Operation "Assessment Hill 2024" send a message to perpetrators in the city.
"One, if you have a warrant, turn yourselves in. Two, if you don’t, eventually, we’ll be coming for you,” said Sgt. Joaquim DeBarros with the Bridgeport Police Department.
Sgt. DeBarros led the operation as the head of the Domestic Violence and Special Victims Unit. In under six hours, his department issued 25 arrest warrants, and arrested 23 people.
"We started around 0400, 4 o'clock in the morning, and the operation ended for us at 9 but we still had people turning themselves in all the way up through 11 o’clock," Sgt. DeBarros said. "It was a collective operation between all the divisions, and it worked out very well.”
The initiative came after weeks of planning, and a nudge from the courts to catch up on a massive backlog of domestic violence cases. Which, despite having two detectives dedicated to the cases, it's getting harder to keep up.
“No matter, you could work 24 hours a day seven days a week, and you’d still be behind," Sgt. DeBarros said.
Sgt. DeBarros said the operation brings them one step closer to tackling the issue.
“This sweep, was probably one of the most significant things we have seen here in my tenure here as the CEO," said Debra Greenwood, CEO and president of The Center for Family Justice.
Greenwood and her team at the center helped police put this plan together. She said it was a multi-pronged approach with many different departments. It comes after Greenwood said 26 people lost their lives to domestic violence across the state in 2023.
“This was critical to be able to say, 'We hear you, we’re doing something about it, and we’re going to make sure that your case goes before the judiciary,'" Greenwood said.
And due to the operation's success, it's something those involved said they'd like to do again soon, letting victims know they’re here to protect them.
“If you don’t feel safe, please call the hotline, please call Safe Connect. We’re here to help you, and so is law enforcement," Greenwood said.
“Never give up hope. We will work tirelessly to make sure we bring justice to you and your family," Sgt. DeBarros said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, there is help everywhere in Connecticut. Call or text the 24/7 domestic violence hotline, CTSafeConnect, at 888-774-2900.
As of Thursday, these are the suspects police arrested and what the suspects were charged with:
- Yanet Moyotl-Tlacuatl, 25, Assault 3rd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $2,500
- Juan Cirino, 39, Three warrants:
- Disorderly Conduct, Threatening 2nd and Criminal Mischief 3rd, Bond $5,000
- Threatening 2nd, Bond $5,000
- Breach of Peace 2nd, two counts Threatening 2nd, Bond $5,000
- Carlos Munoz-Vazquez, 41, Assault 3rd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $2,500.
- Doncarlos Brady, 40, Reckless Endangerment 2nd, Larceny 6th and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $6500.
- Christian Cabreja, 27, Risk of Injury to Child, Reckless Endangerment 2nd and Breach of Peace 2nd. Bond $5,000.
- Mario Garcia-Martinez, 28, Risk of Injury to Child, Assault 3rd, Disorderly Conduct and Reckless Endangerment 2nd. Bond $5,000.
- Hugo Lopez-Maria, 37, Assault 3rd, Disorderly Conduct, Threatening 2nd and Reckless Endangerment 2nd. Bond $12,000
- Keith Johnson, 46, Criminal Violation of Restraining Order. Bond $5,000.
- Timothy (Tymithy) Jenkins, 26, Assault 3rd, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Mischief 3rd. Bond $2500.
- Jesus Cordero, 27, two counts Risk of Injury to Child, four counts Assault 3rd, four counts Reckless Endangerment 2nd and one count of Criminal Mischief 3rd. Bond $10,000.
- Bella Henriquez, 41, Assault 3rd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $3,000.
- Marvin Martin, 31, Violation of Protective Order, Threatening 2nd, Criminal Mischief 3rd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $10,000.
- Nelson Tracy, 19, Unlawful Restraint 2nd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $25,000.
- Francisco Paulino, 48, Assault 3rd, Unlawful Restraint 2nd, Reckless Endangerment 2nd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $25,000.
- Angel Pacheco, 34, Assault 3rd, Reckless Endangerment 2nd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $5,000.
- Efrain Johnson, 20, Reckless Endangerment 2nd and Breach of Peace 2nd. Bond $5,000.
- Adrian Clack, 42, Burglary 2nd, Unlawful Restraint 1st and Reckless Endangerment 1st. Bond $50,000.
- George Mulligan, 52, Criminal Trespass 1st. Bond $5,000.
- Laureano Hernandez, 32, Assault 3rd. Bond $10,000
- Joseph Dreher, 36, Assault 3rd and Reckless Endangerment 2nd. Bond $2,500.
- Justin Cogdell, 40, Violation of Standing Criminal Protective Order, Criminal Mischief 3rd and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $20,000.
- Anthony Morales, 44, Risk of Injury to a Child, Strangulation / Suffocate in the 3rd Degree, Assault in the 3rd Degree, Reckless Endangerment in the second Degree, and Disorderly Conduct. Bond $50,000.
- Saengphraath Inthisorn, 45, Assault in the 3rd Degree. Bond $2,000.
These arrests follow a series of deadly attacks and incidents reported in Bridgeport over the past few months.
A mom and two children, one of which who died from injuries, were attacked with a bat at an apartment in September. Abdulrahim Sulaiman, 38, pleaded "not guilty" to charges in the attack.
Also in September, a 27-year-old Bridgeport woman was found with several injuries on Central Avenue and later died. Ricardo Robinson, 28, was wanted for questioning when police later found him dead in Stratford.
There were also multiple domestic violence cases being investigated around the state in August and September.