2 Charged In Drive-By Shooting In Meriden: Police

MERIDEN, CT — A 19-year-old man and a juvenile were arrested Monday in connection with a shooting in Meriden in March, according to police.

Jherquez Slater, 19, and the juvenile were taken into custody by the Meriden Crime Suppression Unit with the assistance of the Southington Police Department on charges stemming from the shooting in the area of Lourdes Court on March 7, according to police.

A man in his 20s was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his back, police said at the time. An initial investigation found that the man had been shot in the area of Lourdes Court and Andrews Street by someone driving by.

“An intensive investigation was conducted by our Detective Division and with the assistance of the New Haven States Attorney’s Office, two arrest warrants were secured,” Meriden police wrote in a news release Thursday. “Seized during the apprehension of these two individuals were two handguns. The Southington Police Department is handling the firearm aspect of this investigation.”

Slater was charged with first-degree assault, criminal use of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. He was held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.

The juvenile was charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment and weapons in a motor vehicle. The juvenile was taken to the Hartford Detention Center.

Police are continuing to investigate the shooting, and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Pellegrini at 203-630-6297 or bpellegrini@meridenct.gov.