Arrest After Early Morning Gas Station Robbery

A Bridgeport man was arrested in Middlebury Thursday morning as a suspect in the smash-and-grab robbery of a local Shell Gas Station after being caught on video and discovered later that day with the merchandise.

Middlebury police were dispatched to an alarm at the Shell Gas Station located at 520 Middlebury Road at 3:18 a.m., where they discovered a rock thrown through the front glass door.

Officers checked the business but did not locate any suspects, Middlebury acting Chief Richard Wildman said Thursday, however a review of the security footage showed a man entering the store and taking some cartons of cigarettes before leaving. Police put together a description of the suspect using the tape and sent that information to all local law enforcement agencies.

During the investigation, Middlebury officer Antony Kalvaitis saw a man matching the description riding a bicycle south on Route 63, near Maples Restaurant. When officers Kalvaitis and Patrick Deely approached, the man allegedly tried to hide several cartons of cigarettes in his hoodie.

The man, identified as Edgardo Luis Martinez, 38, of Main Street, Bridgeport, also had a “visible cut,” presumably from the glass door of the Shell Station, according to police, which was treated by officers.

Martinez was taken into custody without incident on charges of larceny in the sixth degree and held on $100,000 bond pending arraignment in Waterbury Superior Court.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Interested in Middlebury and Woodbury's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Woodbury-Middlebury Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

_____________________________________________________________________________________