2 East Windsor Teens Charged in Armed Robbery/Pot Deal

VERNON, CT — Two East Windsor teens have been charged in an armed robbery at a Vernon bowling alley that began with a transaction over a half-pound of pot, according to arrest warrants.

Two 19-year-old East Windsor residents were charged this week for the Feb. 11 incident — Alexis Roach, for second-degree false statement and Maxx Martin, for criminal attempt at selling a controlled substance with a related conspiracy and possessing drugs near a school, according to a warrants.

At 10:57 p.m. on Feb. 11, Vernon police received a 911 call about an armed robbery involving a handgun in the parking lot of the Spare Time bowling center. One in the group that called 911 said he and a carload of friends were at Spare Time to participate in the nighttime "galactic bowling" offering, according to a warrant.

The man told police they were approached by other men with a gun, according to a warrant.

Some in the car eventually admitted they were there to sell a half-pound or marijuana, according to a warrant. That's about half of a supermarket bag, police said.

Three suspects were seen fleeing the area in a vehicle headed south on Route 83, police said. Police converged on the area and a state trooper located the vehicle on Route 30 in the area of Dobson Road and followed it, police said.

The vehicle proceeded onto I-84 westbound at exit 66 and the trooper attempted to stop it, police said.
One of the suspects told investigators he sped away when the trooper approached the vehicle, according to a warrant. One persona on the car had a record, according to a warrant.

A chase then ensued and the vehicle made it to the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, where it eventually crashed near Webster Street, police said.

Two suspects were detained and one fled on foot, police said. Vernon officers arrested the two and brought them back to town, police said.

The marijuana in question was found in the vehicle, according to a warrant.

State troopers and officers from Wethersfield, Newington and Berlin searched for the third suspect with a dog unit and the suspect was located on Monday morning by Newington officers and was being transported back to Vernon, police said.

Arrested at the scene was Joshua Dionne, 19, of Hartford and Jerris Holloway, 18, of Hartford. They were charged with first-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny, first-degree forgery, marijuana possession and second-degree threatening, police said.

The third suspect in the robbery, tracked down for several hours, was identified as Charles J. Rivard, 22, of East Hartford. Rivard was on parole at the time of the offense and has been remanded to custody of the Department of Corrections as well. His local charges are the same as those for Dionne and Holloway, police said.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel