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Crime & Safety

Police Seize 190 Bags of Heroin in Oakwood Ave. Home

Local man, two others arrested; stolen gun also found after four-day surveillance by special West Hartford units.

A suspected local drug dealer was arrested and seized 190 bags of heroin Wednesday after searching an apartment on Oakwood Avenue.

Police also took into custody an alleged conspirator from Hartford and a suspected drug buyer from Cromwell.

Anthony Storniola, 20, was arrested after allegedly completing a drug deal outside his home at 262 Oakwood Ave. A search of his second-floor apartment uncovered bundles of heroin packaged for sale and valued at an estimated $2,000, said West Hartford Lt. Tracey Gove of the Special Investigations Division.

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The arrests resulted from a four-day surveillance effort by detectives in the SID and Community Interaction Team, Gove said. Police were advised that possible drug sales were taking place in the area of Oakwood Avenue and Caya Avenue, Gove said.

“We received a couple of tips that this individual was selling drugs from people who we established as reliable,” Gove said.

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Storniola faces multiple narcotics charges, including four counts of possession of narcotics, sale of narcotics and operating of drug factory, police said. He was held on a $500,000 bond.

Police also seized a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that was allegedly stolen April 20 in Vermont, and materials to package drugs, Gove said. The gun was found in a bedroom that Storniola shares with his girlfriend and an 18-month-old son. His additional charges include theft of a firearm and risk of injury to a child, police said.

Armando Colon, 20, of 18 Hamilton St. in Hartford, was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess narcotics and conspiracy to sell narcotics, police said. He was held on a $7,500 bond.

Joel Seavey, 22, of 67 Shunhut Road in Cromwell, was charged with possession of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia and released on a $2,500 bond, police said.

Seavey allegedly purchased heroin from Storniola. They were in a car driving onto I-84 when they were stopped and arrested at about 1 p.m., Gove said.

“[Seavey] came into the area as we were watching and made the purchase so it was bad timing on his part,” Gove said.

A small amount of cash was also seized at the home, police said.

On Feb. 28, police seized nearly 10 ounces of crack cocaine after a . An investigation determined the drugs were the target of the intruders, police said. In that case, the drugs were , police said.

“Any big town has its problems and we just had these two cases recently in the area but I wouldn’t characterize that as a drug-plagued or drug-problem neighborhood,” Gove said. “There are a lot of good homes there. This may just may be a matter of timing than anything else.”

Storniola appears to have no criminal record in Connecticut.

Colon has three pending cases in Hartford Superior Court. One stems from an arrest by West Hartford police in January for violation of a protective order, according to court records.

Colon was arrested last June by Hartford police for third-degree assault and breach of peace.

No court dates were available for Storniola or Colon. Seavey is scheduled to be arraigned May 5 in Superior Court.

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