Crime & Safety
Third Suspect Charged In Home Invasion on St. Charles
Manchester man taken into custody early Saturday on South Street.
A third suspect was arrested in connection with a last week on St. Charles Street, and said the house appeared to be a random target.
Nelson L. Viera of Wadsworth Street in Manchester was found about 3 a.m. Saturday at a commercial facility at 141 South St. in the Elmwood section, police said.
In addition to home invasion, Viera, 40, faced multiple felony charges Monday in Hartford Superior Court, including first-degree burglary and second-degree larceny, Sgt. Andrew Schiffer said. He was held on $150,000 bail.
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On Thursday, a St. Charles Street resident was able to call police from an upstairs bedroom about 2:15 p.m. after hearing a break-in through the front door, police said. As officers were arriving, two suspects fled on foot. One was caught a half-mile away and subdued with a Taser and the other surrendered under the threat of a Taser, police said.
“I have not heard to the contrary that it was anything other than a random event,” Schiffer said.
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Israel Caez, 37, whose address was unknown, and Gilberto Mendez, 35, of 567 New Britain Ave. in Hartford were each charged with home invasion, first-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree larceny and interfering with an officer.
Caez was also charged with drug possession. His original bail was doubled to $500,000 at his arraignment Friday in Superior Court.
Mendez was held on bail set Friday at $100,000.
Police reportedly acted on information from a cooperating suspect to locate Viera.
Schiffer said jewelry and electronics worth about $5,000 were taken from the home.