Standoff Ends with Man’s Arrest After Telling Police He 'Had a Gun' While Barricaded Inside Bedroom: Middletown PD

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown man was arrested after a 1.5-hour standoff with police in which he barricaded himself in a bedroom and told officers that he “had a gun,” according to the police report. Police had responded to the home on a reported domestic dispute in which the victim had an active protective order against the man.

The protective order was issued against Hector Mulero, a convicted felon who was arrested twice in the same day on Nov. 28 after he was accused of slapping his girlfriend and later telling her that he “should have kicked her ass for calling police” earlier in the day and then grabbed the phone from her when she attempted to call again, according to police.

Related: Man Arrested Twice in Same Day for Slapping Girlfriend, Later Threatening Her for Calling Police: Middletown PD

In the most recent incident, on Dec. 16, police responded to the Middletown address at about 10:15 p.m. after a neighbor reported that Mulero was at the residence assaulting a female, according to the police report.

The witness told police he could hear yelling and screaming coming from the residence and heard the female victim say, “Give me back my phone,” and repeatedly scream, “ Help me, please help me,” according to the report.

The report states that the witness told police that the yelling and screaming continued and then he heard what running sounded like running around inside the apartment and moments later the noise stopped and it was completely silent.

The witness said that due to the violent history between Mulero and the victim, he was concerned for her well-being and called 911.

Based on the protective order, which stated that Mulero was to have no contact with the victim in any manner, police forced entry into the residence and Mulero then barricaded himself in the bedroom and refused to surrender to police, according to the report.

One of the officers heard a clicking sound that he thought sounded like a magazine being inserted into a firearm so officers backed down the stairs while continuing to give Mulero verbal commands.

The neighbor told police that Mulero had displayed a handgun in the past.

Police then contacted Mulero, 48, through a cell phone and he repeatedly said he would not exit the room and if police made entry he would shoot himself, according to the police report.

Police said the conversation continued off and on for about 1.5 hours and throughout the conversation Mulero said “She’s not here, tell them (police) to leave,” the report states.

During breaks in the conversation, Mulero made several statements through the door that he “had a gun” and would shoot himself if police entered the room, police said.

After about 1.5 hours, in which Mulero reportedly ignored numerous verbal commands to end the standoff, he finally came out of the second-floor bedroom and was detained by police.

Police conducted a protective sweep of the second-floor and attic of the residence but the victim was not located inside the home.

Inside Mulero’s bedroom, police found a plastic case of ammunition that was originally fitted to contain 25 rounds but only contained five live rounds of small-caliber handgun ammunition, according to the report. Police also found several other loose rounds scattered on the floor near the bed.

Police believed there may have been a firearm hidden at the residence, but Mulero refused to consent to a search and officers said that would apply for a search warrant, according to the report.

Mulero said numerous times that he didn’t know where the ammunition came from and had no explanation for why it was in his bedroom, according to police. He also told police that he had just been incarcerated and was recently released.

Mulero was arrested on charges of criminal violation of a protective order, interfering with an officer, breach of peace and criminal possession of bullets.

He has previous convictions of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, third-degree assault, multiple probation violations, second-degree forgery, first-degree criminal mischief (multiple convictions), second-degree criminal mischief, sixth-degree larceny, operating under the influence, reckless driving, first-degree failure to appear and use of a motor vehicle without permission.

Mulero is due in court on Jan. 24 in connection to the November arrest and the most recent charges, according to state judicial records.

Image via Shutterstock

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