Police: Local Man Takes Knife Into Fight

A Gerthmere Drive man sustained a head wound and was later arrested after police said he brought a knife into a fight with a Hartford man who was seeing his 27-year-old daughter against his wishes.

also arrested the local man’s son, who allegedly helped his father corner the Hartford man early Tuesday in a garage at a home on Valley Crest Drive.

Robert Smith, 56, of 15 Gerthmere Drive was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, a felony, and threatening, criminal mischief and breach of peace, police said. He was treated at Hartford Hospital for a large head laceration and posted $1,000 bail, police said.

Smith’s son, Beau Smith, 24, also of 15 Gerthmere Drive, posted $5,000 bail on charges of criminal mischief and breach of peace, police said.  

Police said Edwin Collazo, 42, of Hartford went to a home at 9 Valley Crest Drive after he was invited by Smith’s daughter to visit. Collazo told police there was a non-physical confrontation with Beau Smith earlier at a Hartford bar.

Collazo told police he was in the home at about 2 a.m. when he saw his 2004 Ford Expedition being vandalized by the Smiths. The driver’s side window and the tires were slashed, police said.

When Collazo tried to leave the house through a rear door, he was confronted by the Smiths and retreated into a garage, police said. Collazo told police he charged the elder Smith, who was holding a knife, knocking him down and apparently unconcious.

Collazo also said he knocked down Beau Smith with several punches and was leaving when police arrived, police said.

At the hospital, Robert Smith told police he walked to the Valley Crest Drive residence after learning from his son that Collazo was with his daughter. He said he remembered slashing Collazo’s tires, “but the next thing he knew he was waking up in the ambulance,” police said.

A nearby resident called police about men fighting with unknown weapons at 2:15 a.m.

Beau Smith disputed Collazo’s version of the incident, police said. He said Collazo lunged out of the garage and hit his father in the head with a mop. He told police Collazo then knocked him to the ground with his fists.

The knife was recovered in Collazo’s vehicle, police said.

Robert Smith was scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court June 16. Beau Smith was expected to be arraigned in Hartford Community Court June 15.