'Violent' Vehicle Gathering In Tolland Mirrors Statewide Problem: Cops

TOLLAND, CT — A Sunday night scene in which a large amount of troublemakers in vehicles filled the center of Tolland mirrors similar incidents statewide, authorities said.

One arrest was made. Jefferson Duron, 20, of Norwalk, was charged with several crimes in connection with coordinated incidents across the state and charged with crimes that include inciting to riot and first-degree rioting. He was held overnight on a $250,000 bond and was to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Monday, state police said. He was identified as a ringleader in the gatherings.

Tire marks could be seen all over the road, particularly near Fieldstone Commons. State police said they were investigating damage inflicted by baseball bats.

"The vehicles are gone, but damage has been done," Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley said "First thing (Monday) morning, I'll work to determine what happened and how Tolland (and many other towns) can prevent this from happening again in the coming weeks/months/summer.

"There is an escalation here. This is beyond motor vehicle infractions. Details are preliminary, but there was violence occurring. This is a statewide problem."

Indeed, state police said. The incident in Tolland mirrors an August 202o incident at the Buckland commuter lot in Manchester. Between 100 and 200 people gathered for what was described in a warrant as a "racing" event. Racing events are typically used to show off aftermarket modifications to vehicles, polices said.

The Manchester incident led to tension between rival factions and a subsequent fatal shooting in which a murder charges were filed.

State police said that the Tolland incident was similarly "organized."

There have been a variety of reactions to the incident.

See also: 'Ring Leader' In Street Racing Incidents Across CT Arrested: State PD

Local resident Megan Sargisian has organized a Go-Fund-Me campaign to help pay off damage to her mom's vehicle.

"Last night, May 21st, my parents were attacked in the middle of Tolland. It was a takeover that blocked the intersection, and they were just trying to drive home. The mob of people destroyed my mom's car. It's totaled. For no reason. Anything helps," she wrote on the campaign. "This car brought my mom so much happiness, and that was taken from her last night. In her home town. For no reason."

As of Monday afternoon, nearly $2,000 had been raised.

State Rep. Tammy Nuccio (R-Tolland: issued the following statement in connection with the incident:

"Last night, a large group of vehicles took over an intersection near Fieldstone Commons on Route 195 and 'the Green' in Tolland and to say I'm angry would be an understatement. These street takeovers, where drivers illegally block intersections to perform dangerous stunts, are a serious public safety issue.

"We will not tolerate groups coming from out of town to put the lives of innocent drivers at risk because they think it's fun. This is a public safety issue that appears to be escalating because in Tolland, there was a report of a baseball bat being used to damage a vehicle and a woman was surrounded last night by the group who repeatedly kicked the car she was driving, and jumped on the roof, seriously damaging the vehicle. There were also reports of fireworks being shot off in the area and other mayhem.

"This isn't just happening in Tolland, these incidents have occurred recently in Simsbury, Bristol and Naugatuck. It's a statewide issue and it must be addressed. Since being alerted to this, I've been making calls to get to the bottom of what happened and what we can do to prevent it in the future because it's simply unacceptable."