Man Arrested in Domestic That Led to Helen Street School Lockdown

Helen Street School was locked down briefly Thursday morning after police received a report of a domestic dispute in a nearby home that reportedly involved a gun.

At about 11 a.m. police received the report of the dispute between a mother and her son at 141 Gorham Ave., police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith said.

When officers, led by Officer Ronald Glifort, arrived, they found that Nicholas Guarino, 18, has threatened to shoot his mother, Smith said. Guarino took off before police arrived, he said.

Believing Guarino was armed, police immediately contacted Helen Street School administrators, Smith said, and the school was placed on lockdown for about 20 minutes while police searched for Guarino.

A few minutes later police located Guarino at his girlfriend's home, Smith said. After speaking with him briefly on the phone, Guarino surrendered to police, Smith said.

While investigating, officers found 3.6 grams of marijuana that they determined belonged to Guarino and his girlfriend, Smith said.

Guarino was charged with second-degree threatening, possession of marijuana, interfering with an officer and disorderly conduct. Guarino was held in lieu of $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court Oct. 14.

His 17 year-old girlfriend was charged with possession of marijuana and interfering with a police officer. She was released on a promise to appear in court Oct. 25.

During a lockdown, students are not allowed to enter or leave the school building. The order was liften before noon, when students could be seen outside playing on the school's playground.