High Bond Set for Newington Armed Robbery Suspect

NEWINGTON, CT — Police have made an arrest in the armed robbery of a cellular telephone store on the Berlin Turnpike more than five months ago.

Demetrius Wilkes, 26, of New Haven, was charged with first-degree robbery (two counts), conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery (two counts), first-degree kidnapping with a firearm (three counts), conspiracy to commit first-degree kidnapping with a firearm (three counts), first-degree unlawful restraint (three counts), conspiracy to commit first-degree unlawful restraint (three counts), first-degree reckless endangerment (three counts), conspiracy to commit first-degree reckless endangerment (three counts), first-degree threatening (three counts), conspiracy to commit first-degree threatening (three counts), third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny.

He is being held on a $750,000 court-set bond, and is slated to appear Wednesday in New Britain Superior Court.

Wilkes is charged in connection with an armed robbery at the T-Mobile store at 3111 Berlin Turnpike on Nov. 3, 2016. During the robbery, which occurred at approximately 8:20 p.m., two male suspects approached employees while they were in the process of closing the store. Both suspects forced the employees back into the store, where they tied up two individuals while forcing the other to open the safe at gunpoint. The suspects then fled the store with stolen cash and store merchandise, police said.

The investigation of the robbery is continuing, police said.

Photo courtesy of Newington Police Department