Newtown Woman Fends Off Home Invader with Fire Poker: Police

NEWTOWN, CT — Police arrested a man after he broke into a home and was chased off by the homeowner with a fire poker.

On Wednesday at approximately 5:15 p.m. police responded to multiple calls about a "suspicious" man walking along South Main Street in the area of Rams Pasture, running in and out of traffic shouting at people, according to a police report.

When officers arrived on the scene they found and detained Andrew Robbins, 52, of Sugar Street, who matched the description of the man, in the area of South Main Street and Sugar Street.

While Robbins was being detained, officers heard a woman yelling from a residence adjacent to where Robbins was being interviewed. The woman shouted that Robbins had just kicked in her front door in and entered her home. The homeowner said she defended herself by pushing Robbins out and hitting him with a fire poker just prior to officers taking him into custody.

Robbins was charged with home invasion, first degree criminal trespass, breaching the peace, carrying a dangerous weapon, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on a $100,000 bond.

Photo of Andrew Robbins provided by Newtown PD.