Juveniles Accused Of Multiple Armed Robberies, Carjackings: PD

BRANFORD, CT — A 15-year-old was arrested and other teens, including a 14-year-old are being sought for a string of armed robberies and carjackings, Branford police said.

It's alleged that a group of teenagers drove a vehicle that had days before been carjacked in New Haven, into Branford in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday and committed two armed robberies, one an at-gunpoint robbery at the Shell station and the other at the Motel 6 where the victim was robbed at gunpoint, assaulted, and had his car stolen, according to Branford police.

Police said in the first incident, the juveniles approached a victim walking to his vehicle at around 5:30 a.m., "brandished a firearm and demanded the victim to hand over the keys to his vehicle, his wallet and his cell phone," before, police said, punching the person. Then, police said, "in tandem with the other stolen vehicle" drove to the gas station, where one teen went into the store, pointed a gun at the employee and robbed the store, per police.

"With Branford Police Departments' "quick response and investigation, along with the assistance from the Clinton Police Department and the New Haven Police Department, the juveniles were identified within hours of the incident."

The 15-year-old juvenile who brandished the firearm was arrested. An arrest warrant is being sought for a 14-year-old juvenile and the investigation is continuing, which will result in arrest warrants being sought for additional juveniles in the case.

In total, the juveniles committed a string of five armed robberies along the shoreline stretching from Clinton to Norwalk, police said.

It turns out, this group has now been linked to a "crime spree" that includes an armed robbery of two Southport School employees the same morning, that resulted in a school lockdown, according to Fairfield police.

Police said the "spree" began overnight Wednesday in Clinton, then Branford, and by 7:30 a.m., are alleged to have robbed two people at gunpoint in Southport, then 20 minutes later, attempted a carjacking in Norwalk.

Here's the news release from the Fairfield police:

Fairfield Police - Robbery ... by Ellyn Santiago

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