A Connecticut State Police detective suffered a minor injury during the arrest of a Hartford man reportedly connected to a series of retail thefts in the greater Hartford area.
The Connecticut State Police said detectives saw a man driving an overdue U-Haul rental van with heavily tinted windows and all the decals removed around 3 p.m. Police said the van and the driver were wanted in connecting to numerous thefts and at least one armed robbery.
Detectives followed the van until it stopped for gas on Brainard Road in Hartford, police said. Once stopped, the driver got out of the vehicle and placed a firearm on the center console, police said.
Police said the driver, identified as Edwin Pacheco, 26, of Hartford, was “combative and non-compliant” as they tried to arrest him. He attempted to fight the police and return to the driver’s seat of the van, police said. After verbal commands and restraints were unsuccessful, a detective tased Pacheco, allowing officers to handcuff him.
The detective sustained a minor injury to his shoulder, according to police. He was treated and released.
Pacheco and his front seat passenger, Bryan Shepherd, 33, of Canterbury, had active felony warrants for larceny, engaging in pursuit and interfering and were arrested. A third passenger, Danielle Pelletier, 40, of Manchester, also had two active PRAWN warrants and was arrested.
Police found 30 bags of fentanyl, narcotics paraphernalia, burglary tools, knives, a machete, a fake gun and a loaded gun without a serial number and a threaded barrel during a search of the vehicle, they said.
Pacheco and Shepherd were charged with having a weapon in a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of an assault weapon, interfering and possession of a controlled substance.
Pacheco is being held on a $500,000 bond, and Shepherd is being held on a $200,000 bond. They were scheduled to appear in Hartford court on Wednesday.
State police are asking any other agencies investigating similar burglaries to contact Sgt. Anthony Gordon at anthony.gordon@ct.gov.