NEW HAVEN COUNTY, Conn. — North Haven police officers are investigating a burglary they said happened early Sunday morning at the Mobile Gas Station on State Street.
Police said four individuals wearing masks and hooded shirts broke through the glass of the building at 12:50 a.m., walking away with more than $2,000 worth of cigarettes and two cash registers. They believe the suspects drove away in a stolen car taken from Manchester.
“That’s scary, and you never know what they’re thinking. Like, God forbid they pull the trigger on someone. It’s just wrong,” said Julissa Nunez-Pastrana of Hartford, who was getting gas at the Mobile on State St. Monday afternoon.
North Haven police said the same group of people are likely involved in a series of other "smash and grab" burglaries that happened the same day in neighboring Hamden, West Haven, and Orange.
“That’s just crazy. They need to do better. You shouldn’t be out here, breaking into gas stations just to get cigarettes and stuff. I get people need money but like, that’s not the right way to do it,” Nunez-Pastrana said.
Police are asking anyone with information on the series of burglaries to contact them at (203) 239-5321.
In an unrelated incident that happened hours later at 5:30 a.m., North Haven police said another group of people engaged in an armed robbery at the Citgo Gas Station on Washington Ave.
The Citgo armed robbery also involved four individuals wearing a mask.
In an anonymous video, the suspects can be seen getting out of a car and walking into the gas station. While some jumped behind the register to try to take some money, another person approached the store employee with a gun. After a brief struggle, police said one round went off, but no one was injured.
In the video, the employee can be seen chasing the suspects out of the store with a gun in his hand. When one suspect fell, the employee appeared to try to make a citizen’s arrest, while he waited for police.
Eventually, North Haven police said they took a 16-year-old from Hartford into custody. He was charged with Robbery 1st degree, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery First Degree, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, Reckless Endangerment, Assault, Possession of a High-Capacity Magazine, and Altering or Removing a Serial Number of a Firearm.
As of Monday morning, the suspect was still being held in Hartford Detention, waiting on an arraignment.
“I guess they got nothing better to do. I mean, you know, and that, that’s terrible because it’s heart wrenching for these people here that run the station. And it’s scary for them too,” said Michael Mattei of Hamden.
Citgo Gas Station referred to a corporate office for a statement, which did not respond for comment.
In the meantime, anyone with information on the armed robbery or the other suspects in the case is asked to reach out to police at (203) 239-5321.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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