Southington Cops Make Arrest In September Armed Carjacking

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Southington police have made an arrest in connection with an armed carjacking in September.

Christian Velez, 24, of New Britain was taken into custody on a warrant Dec. 29 and charged with first-degree threatening, first-degree unlawful restraint, first- and third-degree larceny, first-degree robbery and robbery of an occupied motor vehicle.

On Sept. 2, officers were called to a residence on Kensington Road regarding a vehicle reportedly stolen at gunpoint. The driver said a silver Pontiac Grand Prix (that turned out to be stolen from New Britain) parked in front of his vehicle. A gun-toting man then emerged from the Pontiac, pointed the weapon at the Southington driver, took $76 out of the man's wallet and then fled west in the second stolen car toward East Street, according to a police report.

The thief told the man to wait 10 minutes before calling police, a report indicates.

The Southington Police Auto Theft Task Force located the Southington vehicle a short time later in New Britain.

Velez is "known to have a long history of burglaries, larcenies, and criminal mischief convictions," police said.