Man Charged for Aggressive Armed Robbery in West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A suspect in robberies in West Hartford, Manchester and Wethersfield has been charged for an aggressive holdup on West Hartford, police said.

At 3:55 a.m. on Thursday, West Hartford Officers responded to Troys Mobil, 2507 Albany Ave. for a report of an armed robbery, according to an incident report.

A man had entered the store and ordered the attendant to hand over cash from two drawers while holding a gun to the clerk's head, according to an incident report.

The suspect then ordered the attendant out from behind the counter and over to an ATM machine where he was forced to withdraw cash, according to an incident report.

The attendant was then ordered into the bathroom while the suspect fled, according to an incident report.

The suspect matched the description from a previous West Hartford armed robbery on Feb. 28 and two armed robberies in Wethersfield and one in Manchester on March 6 and 8, police said.

The suspect was identified as Christopher Franco, a convicted felon, and a search warrant was executed on a motel room in Hartford that he was believed to be staying in.

Franco, 23, who has no known address, was taken into custody while in possession of a handgun, police said.

Police also gathered evidence from other crimes, according to an incident report.

Franco was charged with:

• First-degree robbery
• Second-degree kidnapping with a firearm
• Carrying a gun without a permit
• Second-degree larceny
• Sixth-degree larceny
• Conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny
• Conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery
• Criminal possession of a firearm

Franco was unable to post a $1 million bond and was to appear in court on Friday, police said.

Arrest warrants are pending for other crimes committed, police said.

Photo Credit: WHPD