Female Trio Charged After Police Brouhaha In Hartford: CSP

HARTFORD, CT — Three female relatives were charged this week following a tense police stop that initially began with a wrong-way accident on Interstate 84 in Hartford and ended in a melee with several state troopers.

According to Connecticut State Police, the incident began at about 10:35 p.m. Monday when troopers were called to I-84 East near Exit 46 in the city for a report of a crash there.

That collision led to the arrests of three women who appeared to be relatives with the same last name, though police did not indicate their relationship.

Charged in the incident were:

• Brenda Crespo, 34, of East Hartford, who was charged with driving the wrong way on a divided highway; failure to renew registration; failure to carry insurance/ID card; interfering with police/resisting arrest; and escape from custody.

She was held on $50,000 bond and was arraigned in Hartford Superior Court Tuesday, April 23.

• Esmerelda Crespo, 32, of Bristol, was charged with interfering with police/resisting arrest.

She was held on $20,000 bond and arraigned in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesay, April 23.

• Jennifer Crespo, 25, of Hartford, was charged with interfering with police/resisting arrest and refusal to identify.

She was held on $20,000 bond and arraigned in Hartford superior Court Tuesday, April 23.

State police Tuesday released details of Monday night's incident on I-84.

According to police, a trooper saw a silver Jeep Compass traveling west in the eastbound travel lanes of I-84, where it went off the road in a grassy area and turned around to travel east.

This prompted the trooper to stop the Jeep, which was being driven by Brenda Crespo, according to police.

State police said, during the stop, the trooper noticed the vehicle's registration was expired and Brenda Crespo was unable to provide proof of proper insurance.

While this was happening, police at the scene noticed an empty bottle "consistent in appearance with an alcoholic beverage container" was visible inside the Jeep, police said.

Backup troopers arrived and Brenda Crespo was asked to exit the Jeep and undergo field sobriety tests, police said.

When Brenda Crespo complied, Esmerelda Crespo then exited the Jeep and refused to return when told to do so by police, wrote authorities.

Police said both Brenda and Esmeralda Crespo "ignored further instructions given by troopers and began actively interfering with the investigation."

The two women, police said, then became combative and resisted troopers as they worked to secure them in handcuffs.

The duo was then escorted to separate police cruisers for transport to Troop H in Hartford, police said.

According to police, Esmeralda Crespo continued to be combative and resisted efforts to place her in a cruiser.

As a result, police had to utilize "OC spray" to get Esmeralda Crespo to comply and be secured for transport, according to police.

At that time, a rear passenger in the Jeep — later identified as Jennifer Crespo — approached troopers and "began interfering with the investigation," police said.

As a result, she was also taken into police custody, during which Brenda Crespo then exited a police cruiser and, again, started interfering with troopers, police said.

Eventually, the trio of women were secured and transported to Troop H, where they were processed and, then, taken to a local hospital via ambulance for "minor injuries."

For the Connecticut State Police news page, click on this link.