A delivery driver threw pizza at two suspects during an attempted carjacking in Portland early Wednesday morning and an icy road stopped the suspects from being able to actually take the vehicle, according to police.
Officers responded to a reported carjacking around 1 a.m. The incident started when a Domino's Pizza employee was at a delivery on Waverly Avenue. When the delivery driver got out of the car, authorities said two men wearing masks and dark clothing approached.
One of the suspects reportedly got into the driver's seat of the delivery driver's vehicle while the other one got into the passenger seat. As the suspects attempted to drive away, police said, the vehicle was stuck on the icy road and wouldn't move.
According to police, the pizza delivery driver then threw a pizza at the suspects, who got out of the vehicle and ran to a second vehicle that was parked down the road.
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As the suspects began driving away, the delivery driver reportedly followed. While on Fairview Street, investigators said, one of the suspects reached out the window and fired at least two shots.
After the shots were fired, police said the delivery driver slowed down and watched the suspects drive westbound across the Arrigoni Bridge into Middletown.
Middletown Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but it continued until it reached New Haven. Once in New Haven, police said, the vehicle stopped and four people got out and fled. A police K9 track was conducted, but they did not find any suspects.
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Officers said they later found a 16-year-old male in the area. That teen had been reported missing from Meriden and was returned to his parent. Police did not release details on his possible connection to the incident.
The vehicle the suspects were in was later determined to be stolen out of Hamden.
“Just before 1 a.m. … I was just falling asleep and I happened to hear two really loud gunshots right outside my front window,” a resident of Fairview Street told NBC Connecticut. “I was very surprised to wake up to that.”
The neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, recorded police from her window who were gathering evidence on the street below.
“I saw a couple of police officers come up, and I noticed they were marking the bullet casings and they were picking them up and taking them with them,” she said. “When I woke up this morning and I saw the headlines that there was actually a carjacking with shots fired, I knew exactly what they were talking about, and I knew that it had happened right outside my bedroom window.”
Residents are just glad no one was hurt during the incident and said the driver deserves a raise.
“You never get your pizza, but your pizza delivery driver is probably the bravest guy in the world,” one resident said. “He deserves all the applause that he can get.”
“I mean. You’re doing your work to make a living, to take care of your family and everything, and this happens to an honest worker? It’s very shameful. Very shameful,” said Lambros Lambrinides, who lives a street over from where the attempted carjacking took place.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Portland Police at (860) 342-6780.
