East Haven

2 Arrested in Connection to Attempted Armed Home Invasion in East Haven, Conn.

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Two people have been arrested in connection to an attempted armed home invasion in East Haven on Friday and police said the men had allegedly planned another home invasion in a different part of the state.

Authorities said 37-year-old Xavier Otero approached a home on Maple Street around 9:45 a.m. dressed as a delivery man. He was wearing an orange safety vest and had a package in his hand.

When Otero rang the doorbell of the home, police said he told the homeowner that the package he had belonged to him then pulled out a black gun and attempted to enter the home.

Otero left after the homeowner pushed him away. He fled after getting into the back passenger side of a Dodge Ram.

The incident was captured on the homeowner's Ring camera. Images of the suspect and videos of the incident were disseminated.

Tips began coming in shortly after and police followed up on leads, including the lead that led to Otero.

Investigators said it was confirmed that Otero was the suspect shown in the photos and videos of the incident. He was found at a family member's house on Bellevue Street in Hartford and was taken into custody without incident.

Otero was charged with home invasion, threatening, criminal possession of a firearm and criminal attempt to commit unlawful restraint.

As police continued investigating, they said they learned about an alleged plot to take part in a home invasion where the occupants of the home were going to be restrained with zip ties and robbed. Police said they learned about the possibility of the second home invasion being planned in Manchester.

Officers later found the Dodge Ram that was seen in the video at a home on New Britain Avenue in Hartford. A man, later by identified by investigators as 26-year-old Jean Carrasquillo-Torres, was seen getting into the Dodge Ram and was taken into custody a short time later. Authorities said they determined he was involved in the East Haven incident.

While executing a search and seizure warrant on the home on New Britain Avenue, police said they found approximately 1.1 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and items commonly used in the operation of a drug factory. In the same room, police said they found a bag full of heavy duty zip ties.

Otero and Carrasquillo-Torres were transported to the East Haven Police Department to be processed.

Carrasquillo-Torres is facing charges including conspiracy to commit home invasion and conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint. He was also charged with narcotics and weapons-related violations for the evidence that was found during the execution of the search and seizure warrant at the home on New Britain Avenue.

Both Otero and Carrasquillo-Torres were held at the East Haven Police Department on a $250,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in court on April 26.

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