Getaway Car Driver in Somers Chinese Restaurant Robbery Charged

SOMERS, CT — A man described as the chauffeur for the armed gunman who held up a popular Chinese restaurant in Somers last fall has been charged with the same two crimes as the thief, state police said.

Brick Beltrandi, 26, of Enfield, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with both first-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny, state police said.

He posted a $20,000 bond and is due in court on Aug. 21, according to a warrant.

Zachary Smith, 20 (he was 19 at the time of the crime), was arrested last Tuesday, state police said.

On Nov. 21 at about 8:20 p.m. troopers from Troop C in Tolland responded to the China City restaurant, 166 Main St., Somers, for a reported armed robbery.

When troopers arrived, restaurant employees told them that a white male entered China City, displayed a small black handgun, and took an undisclosed amount of cash before leaving, state police said. The man was wearing a Halloween mask and a green hooded sweatshirt, according to an arrest report.
No injuries were reported, state police said.

Troopers and a state police dog team searched the area for the suspect but did not locate him, authorities said. Police dog Arek did collect enough evidence to get the investigation going, state police said.
Detectives from Eastern District Major Crime Squad then assumed the investigation, state police said.

A witness told state police investigators that he saw Smith jump into a black Mercedes, later identified by Enfield police as belonging to Beldrandi, in the driveway of a former school complex just down the road from China City, according to a warrant.

Smith and Beltrandi were charged with sixth-degree larceny for the $200 in coins and paper currency Smith made off with and first-degree robbery for the entire caper, state police said.

Photo Credit: state police