WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Multiple police units responded to the report of an armed robbery at Home Depot in West Hartford on Tuesday morning.
Two Home Depot Prevention Loss employees attempted to stop two men with stolen merchandise. The suspects continued moving toward a car in the parking lot. A brief struggle ensued between the suspects and employees as they attempted to recover the cart containing the stolen merchandise.
The struggle resulted in one of the suspects pulling out a black semiautomatic firearm and pointing it at the loss prevention employees.
The suspects then loaded the stolen items into a black Land Rover, assisted by a female inside of the car. The suspects then exited onto New Park Avenue. Officers quickly located the Land Rover and attempted to stop the car, but the driver of the suspect’s car engaged officers in a pursuit.
The suspect’s car fled into Hartford on I-84 Eastbound. During the pursuit, the brandished firearm was thrown out of the suspect’s car near the area of I-84 eastbound at Exit 46. The firearm was recovered by the West Hartford Police and was found to be a facsimile firearm.
Officers from the West Hartford Community Support Unit officers and the Capitol Regional Auto Theft Task Force located the suspect’s car around Capen Street and Vine Street in Hartford. The three occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident. There were no reported injuries or traffic accidents.
Juan Surillo, 38, of Hartford, was charged with the following: robbery in the first degree, larceny in the fourth degree, conspiracy to commit larceny in the fourth degree, carrying a dangerous weapon, weapons in a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, threatening in the first degree, breach of peace in the second degree, engaging in a police pursuit, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without insurance.
Surillo was held on a $150,000 non-surety bond.
Jorge Maldonado-Ramos, 34, of Hartford was charged with operating a motor vehicle with larceny in the fourth degree and conspiracy to commit larceny in the fourth degree.
Ramos was held on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
Elizabeth Kobus, 33, of Hartford, was charged with larceny in the fourth degree and conspiracy to commit larceny in the fourth degree. Kobus was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
Anyone who has information regarding the incident is asked to contact WHPD at 860-523-5203, the anonymous tip line at 860-750-8969 or at the confidential email tipline whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.