Man, 19, Who Threatened East Haven Residents With Gun Charged: PD

EAST HAVEN, CT — An East Haven man who police said threatened a neighbor with a gun Sunday following a domestic violence incident, was arrested and faces 11 charges, police said.

According to East Haven Police Department Capt. Joseph M. Murgo, just before noon, the East Haven Public Safety Dispatch Center got a 911 call from the person who was threatened. Before police got there, he said, a dispatcher said that a man involved in a domestic was in his driveway honking his horn and "causing a disturbance," which prompted the neighbor to come outside to see what was happening. Murgo said the man told police the person honking his horn and making a scene took a gun out of his car and "pointed it at several" people. The entire incident was captured on video, and shared with police, Murgo said.

Murgo said that Xavier Rodriguez, 19, was the person involved in the domestic incident. As cops got to the scene, they saw Rodriguez fleeing, traveling north bound on Laurel Street at a high rate of speed, Murgo said.

Rodriguez ignored officers' signal to stop and kept going north on Laurel Street, but because of his "erratic driving," Murgo said, police did not chase him.

Meanwhile, while police were speaking to the police who'd been threatened, East Haven police officers Anthony Fiorillo and Anthony Berretta saw Rodriguez driving south on North High Street before turning to head back to Laurel Street, Murgo said.

And since Rodriguez was "possibly in possession of a firearm," police tried, unsuccessfully, to pull him over, but he sped away and ended up on Nicole Court, a dead end street, Murgo said. He lost control of his car and crashed into police cruisers being driven by police officers Donato Palma and Paul Scelza.

Rodriguez was taken into custody without further incident. A facsimile firearm, believed to be the weapon used to threaten residents with, was located within the vehicle.

Rodriguez was charged with Breach of Peace in the Second Degree, Threatening in the First Degree, Weapons in vehicle, Brandishing of a Facsimile Firearm, two counts of Engaging Police in a Pursuit, Interfering with an Officer, Reckless Driving, Driving without a license, Insufficient insurance, and Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle.

Rodriguez was held on a $50,000 bail and faced a judge Monday in New Haven.