Wallingford Man Assaulted at New Haven Cafe

A Wallingford man was assaulted early Monday morning at a New Haven café, resulting in the arrest of two men, according to New Haven Police.

New Haven Police responded to Libra’s Café, located at 56 Main Street, at 1:16 a.m. on the report that two men had been attacked.

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As Officer Daniel Conklin and others headed to the scene, a dispatcher described the suspects and their getaway car, New Haven Police Spokesman Officer David B. Hartman said in a press release.

Within minutes, Officer William Gargone spotted them traveling through the intersection of the Main Street Annex and Townsend Avenue. He stopped the car, a 1994 Toyota Corolla, and detained the two occupants. Officer Conklin arrived to assist.

Hartman said while they spoke with the suspects, the victims, a 24-year-old New Britain resident and a 26-year-old Wallingford resident pulled up and told the officers that the men they had stopped were the ones who attacked them at the café.

The New Britain man was bleeding from a severe cut to his right thumb, while the Wallingford man had a minor laceration to his left bicep and an ambulance was called.

The detained men, Kadhim Alsubaih, 23, of Rock Street in New Haven, and Ahmed Roomi, 21, of Arch Street in New Haven, were handcuffed.

The New Britain man told police that they were inside Libra’s Café, when some of the patrons got into a fight. He said he tried breaking it up, when Alsubaih came at him swinging. He said he raised his arm to block what he believed would be a punch. He said whatever was in Alsubaih’s fist, cut him. Then he saw the knife, according to Hartman.

The Wallingford man told police that during the melee, he’d been grabbed by the throat and punched by Roomi. He’d suffered a cut to his arm but didn’t see how it got there. He said he dropped his cell-phone during the attack and saw Roomi pick it up and flee from the café.

Hartman said the men were interviewed separately and their stories were confirmed.

Additional officers were sent to the café to check for other victims. None were found but a crime scene was, according to Hartman.

Hartman said the bar was cleared out and taped off and the bloody scene was photographed by police.

Meanwhile, back at the stop, officers saw a blood-covered knife through the window of the car. The Wallingford man’s cell phone was seen on the floor at the passenger side, according to Hartman.

When officers spoke with Alsubaih and Roomi, they claimed to have been the victims – that they were attacked by the wounded men.

Hartman said this didn’t explain away the bloody knife, stolen cell phone and that they appeared uninjured.

Roomi was arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace and sixth-degree larceny.

Alsubaih was arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace and second-degree assault.

Pictured: Kadhim Alsubaih, 23, of New Haven (left), and Ahmed Roomi, 21, of New Haven

New Haven Police Department photos