Car Drives Wrong-Way, Refuses To Stop For Police: East Haven PD

EAST HAVEN, CT — Police said two people have been arrested.

On Friday, while patrolling the parking lot/plaza area of 65 Frontage Road, Officer Robert Celentano and Officer Christopher Cameron saw a red Subaru Impreza occupied by two males wearing ski masks traveling through the lot, police said.

The vehicle did not have a license plate affixed to it. "Finding this behavior suspicious, Officer Cameron activated his overhead lights and attempted to initiate a motor vehicle stop," police said in a news release. "The operator of the vehicle, later identified as Pablo Estrada-Vicente, 22, of Booth Street, New Britain, CT, fled through the parking lot and exited the Home Depot plaza the wrong way via the one-way entrance to the plaza, nearly striking vehicles attempting to pull into the lot."

Estrada-Vicente continued to "disregard multiple responding officers’ attempts to stop the vehicle" and fled onto I-95 south to I-91 north, police said.

"With careful coordination with the Connecticut State Police, who monitored the vehicle’s location on the highway, and the Wallingford Police Department, who successfully deployed stop sticks in the area of the Route 15 on-ramp in Wallingford, the vehicle was safely disabled, and both suspects were taken into custody," police said.

When officers searched the vehicle, they located a machete, baseball bat, crowbar, the vehicle’s license plate and a fixed blade knife, police said.

Estrada-Vicente, who was still wearing a ski mask, was also in possession of black rubber gloves, police added. His passenger, identified as Antonio Gil, 34, of Oak Street, New Britain, CT, was also in possession of a ski mask, police said.

Both individuals were placed under arrest and were transported to the East Haven Police Department for processing.

Pablo Estrada Vicente was charged with:

• Weapons in a Motor Vehicle, C.G.S. 29-38
• Engaging Officers in Pursuit, C.G.S. 14-223(b)
• Interfering with an Officer, C.G.S. 53a-167a
• Operating a M/V without Insurance, C.G.S. 14-213(b)
• Reckless Driving, C.G.S. 14-222(a)

Estrada Vicente was released on a $50,000.00 bond.

Antonio Gil was charged with:

• Weapons in a Motor Vehicle, C.G.S. 29-38

Gil was released on a $25,000.00 bond.

"The circumstances surrounding this incident, along with the items recovered, are consistent with the type of criminal activity officers were proactively working to prevent," police said in a statement. "The East Haven Police Department will continue focused enforcement efforts to address suspicious behavior and ongoing quality of life concerns throughout our community."