NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:  Monday, March 28, 2005
 

HARTFORD POLICE CONDUCT CITYWIDE GUN VIOLENCE SUPPRESSION OPERATION.

(Hartford) - In a twelve hour period, beginning at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2005, Hartford Police executed seven (7) search and seizure warrants at locations throughout Hartford in a stepped up effort at suppressing gun violence.  Two loaded handguns, hundreds of bullets, a taser, approximately $2,000 in U.S. Currency, approximately 200 bags of Heroin, 25 grams of crack-cocaine, and ten bags of marijuana were seized as a result of the simultaneous investigations.

Based on investigations conducted by HPD's Vice and Narcotics detectives, search and seizure warrants were obtained from the State's Attorney targeting four (4) locations known for gun violence and street level drug distribution.  Targeted locations included 45 Barbour Street, 257 and 272 Jefferson Street, 147 Martin Street, and 22-24 New Britain Avenue, Hartford.  Twenty arrests on various firearms and drug charges were made as a result of the coordinated citywide operation.

Supported by the HPD's Emergency Response Team (ERT), Vice and Narcotics Detectives executed the following seven search warrants at the specified times and locations:

5:29 a.m.- Executed search and seizure warrant at 45 Barbour Street, Apartment #208.
Vice and Narcotics detectives, supported by the HPD's ERT, seized a .22 caliber magazine, a  9 mm magazine, and hundreds of assorted bullets.  Also seized during the operations were twenty bags of heroin and 1/2 ounce of marijuana.  Arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell (PWITS), possession of a controlled substance, and sale of narcotics was Solmary Cruz, DOB 2/3/86, of 45 Barbour Street, Hartford.  Cruz' bond was set at $110,000.

5:29 a.m.- Executed search and seizure warrant at 45 Barbour Street, Apartment #301.
Vice and Narcotics detectives, in a simultaneous search and seizure operation at another apartment in the above 45 Barbour Street location, seized $276.00 in U.S. Currency and seven grams of crack-cocaine.  Arrested and charged with breach of peace, criminal trespass, failure to appear, was Carla Ayuso, DOB 3/13/81, AKA Diane Barry, of 45 Barbour Street, and Leroy Barber, DOB 1/25/57, of 45 Barbour Street, charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS, and PWITS of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school.  Ayuso's bond was set at $1,000 and Barber's at $100,000.

5:29 a.m.- Executed search and seizure warrant at 45 Barbour Street, Apartment #308.
In the third simultaneous search and seizure warrant executed at 45 Barbour Street, Vice and Narcotics detectives seized $130.00 in U.S. Currency and thirty-five (35) bags of heroin and three (3) bags of marijuana in apartment $308.  Arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS, and PWITS within 1,500 feet of a school was Orlando Vasquez, DOB 8/12/77, and Nidia Vasquez, DOB 6/20/67, both of 45 Barbour Street.  Both Vasquez' bonds were set at $102,500 each.

8:09 a.m. - Executed search and seizure warrant at 272 Jefferson Street, Apartment C2.
As a result of Vice and Narcotics detectives investigation and search and seizure warrant execution at the above address with the assistance of the HPD's ERT, detectives seized a loaded .44 caliber handgun, 121 bags of heroin, and approximately $900.00 in U.S. Currency.  Arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS, PWITS within 1,500' of a school, four counts of risk of injury, and interfering with a search warrant was Gerald Rogers, DOB 9/12/84, of 272 Jefferson Street, Hartford.  Rogers' bond was set at $600,000.  Also arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS, PWITS within 1,500 feet of a school, and risk of injury was Tamara Rivera, DOB 9/10/86, of 272 Jefferson Street.  Rivera's bond was set at $150,000.

8:09 a.m. - Executed search and seizure warrant at 257 Jefferson Street, Second Floor.
Simultaneously, Vice and Narcotics with the assistance of the HPD's ERT, executed a search and seizure warrant at the above address and seized five bags of heroin and $152.00 in U.S. Currency.  Arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS, and PWITS within 1,500' of a school was Jose Rodriquez, DOB 2/6/84, of 257 Jefferson Street, Hartford.  Rodriquez' bond was set at $100,000.  Also arrested and charged with possession of narcotics was Maritza Gonzalez, DOB 12/15/63, of 257 Jefferson Street, Hartford.  Gonzalez' bond was set at $50,000.

13:01 hours (1:01 p.m.) - Executed search and seizure warrant at 147 Martin Street, First Floor.
Seized as a result of this investigation and search and seizure warrant execution was a loaded .38 caliber ER Johnson Arms revolver, a box of .38 caliber bullets, a box of .22 caliber bullets, a taser, six bags of marijuana, three grams of crack-cocaine, packaging materials, and $46.00 in U.S. Currency.  Arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a firearm was Anthony Outlaw, DOB 7/27/68, of 147 Martin Street.  Outlaw's bond was set at $500,000.  Also arrested and charged with possession of narcotics was Marjorie Taylor, DOB 4/26/65, of 147 Martin Street.  Taylor's bond was set at $40,000.

14:35 hours (2:35 p.m.) - Executed search and seizure warrant at 22-24 New Britain Avenue, second floor.

• Arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, PWITS of Narcotics, PWITS Narcotics within 1,500' of a school, and operating a drug factory were:  Yoel Goyanes, DOB 5/13/77, 22 New Britain Avenue, bond $150,000; Iris Rivera, DOB 8/21/60, 125 Washington Street, bond $150,000; Daniel Rodriguez,DOB 8/22/67, 468 Franklin Avenue, bond $150,000; Estanislao Diaz, DOB 11/13/58, 125 Washington Street, bond $150,000; Manuel Diaz, DOB 6/22/61, 53 Victoria Road, bond $100,000, and Yolberis Cerpa-Hibalgo, DOB 5/22/74, 210 Franklin Avenue, bond $225,000.
• Manuel Diaz, DOB 6/2/61, of 53 Victoria Road, was also charged with interfering with a search warrant, with an additional bond of $100,000.
• Shemika Robinson, AKA Lenora Walton, DOB 1/31/62, of 44 New Britain Avenue, was charged with criminal attempt to purchase narcotics, two counts, with a bond set at $150,000.
• Jose Mezquia, DOB 8/21/60, 310 Franklin Avenue, was charged with PWITS and bond at $50,000.

In commenting on the investigation, Vice and Narcotics Commander Lieutenant John A. Betz said, "We will continue our efforts to be proactive and lock up those individuals involved in the illegal drug trade in our city which breeds gun violence.  Our focus now and in the future is getting guns off our streets and ridding our neighborhoods of gun violence fueled by the illegal drug trade."

Contact:   Nancy Mulroy, Public Information Officer, Hartford Police Department,  (860) 543-8746
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