Picture Vernon: Baseballs, Softballs ... And A Shooting

VERNON, CT — The latest installment of the Picture Vernon series takes us back to a building known for both sports and a high-profile crime.

The photo comes from the Vernon Police Department archives. It was taken in June 1964 in connection with a shooting investigation at the Tober Baseball Company, 114 Brooklyn St., in the Rockville section of Vernon.

The building was most recently used by the Ladd & Hall Furniture company before being vacated about two years ago.

The incident occurred on June 16, 1964, according to police records. An employee, Carmelo Reyes, 36 of Hartford, arrived at the workplace armed with a handgun and shot company president Meyer Tober twice, according to police records.

A 21-year-old female employee, diving for cover when the shooting began, received a minor gunshot wound, according to police records. The shooter was disarmed and restrained by male employees and held until the arrival of Rockville Officer Jack Reichenbach, according to a police account of the case.

Tober died two days later of a heart attack, according to police records. Reyes was subsequently convicted of manslaughter and assault, and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The Tober Baseball Company had moved to Rockville from Manchester in about 1954 and manufactured baseballs and softballs for several years, according to police.

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Picture Vernon is a periodic series featuring images of the town, past and present.