Branford Police Arrest Alleged Carjacker

BRANFORD, CT — Police arrested Manuel Aviles, 31, of New Haven charging him with carjacking in Branford. And state police have also charged him in connection with carjackings and crashes on I-95.

A woman he tried to carjack fought him off, he hung on her car and as she drove away, he fell onto the highway.

It all began Wednesday at around 3:30, police say when Aviles fled from a car crash on North Main Street near North Ivy Street and then caused another accident on West Main Street near Commercial Parkway. The car he was driving went off the road into the Starbucks parking lot, hitting two cars there with no people inside. He ran on foot from his car, and carjacked a red Nissan Altima on Commercial Parkway; police say he pulled the man driving out of his car and took off onto I-95 southbound. On the highway, police said, he carjacked other vehicles and then fled north on the Interstate where he crashed again, in a stolen car, near exit 55.

Aviles was taken into custody by Connecticut State Police and held on many charges.

But this morning, Branford Police arrested Aviles at New Haven Superior Court.

He is charged with carjacking, third-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, third-degree assault, second-degree criminal trover, breach of peace and several motor vehicle violations.
No one was hurt in the car crashes related to this incident on Route 1 in Branford.

Connecticut State Police Troop E were contacted by Branford cops alerting them that Aviles was heading south on the highway. Ten minutes later, police began getting 911 calls about a crash on the Q bridge near exit 48 in New Haven. Stunned callers told police that Aviles "crashed the vehicle then carjacked a black Subaru Forester."

Within minutes, the carjacked Subaru hit a car now heading northbound. Police say Aviles took off running and again tried to car-jack people. Trooper Spina "could see the suspect" running down the shoulder on the northbound side. The officer stopped on the southbound median, jumped over the jersey barrier, ran after the suspect, and took him into custody without further incident.

Police say Aviles had carjacked a person in New Haven, crashed that car, and while he was on the highway on foot, tried to carjack a woman driving. She got a minor injury when she fought him off but he was hanging on to her car as she tried t get away. He fell onto the highway.

In addition to the Branford Police charges, Aviles faces state police charges including robbery by carjacking, first-degree larceny, two attempted larceny and robbery by car-jacking charges and third-degree assault.