Man With Lengthy Police Record Accused of Robbing Relative

ENFIELD, CT — A local man with a long record of arrests and convictions was taken into custody on a litany of charges early Wednesday morning, stemming from a reported home invasion and theft of money from a family member, police said.

Peter Hennessy, 36, was charged with home invasion, second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree larceny, third-degree robbery and interfering with an emergency call. He was held overnight in lieu of $150,000 bond, and he was arraigned Wednesday in Hartford Superior Court.

Police received an emergency call at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday from a relative of Hennessy, saying he had been assaulted and had money stolen from his person. The relative said Hennessy had entered his home despite being told several times not to do so. Hennessy told the relative he needed $500 to pay back a drug dealer who had posted his bail in a recent arrest case, Det. Lt. Willie Pedemonti said.

After being told to leave several times, Hennessy refused, stating "I'm not playing around." When the family member called police, Hennessy took the landline phone from him, as well as a cell phone, then threw the relative to the floor, straddled him and took about $320 out of his pocket, Pedemonti said.

Since 2010, Hennessy has been convicted 15 times in Connecticut for crimes ranging from burglary to assault to violating probation. He also has six pending cases, according to state judicial records.

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