Police apprehend armed robbery suspects

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NAUGATUCK — Two suspects are in custody following an armed robbery Tuesday night in Naugatuck.

Jose Abraham, 45, and Luis Abraham, 44, both of 40 Whittier Ave., Apt. 1 in Waterbury, are facing robbery, larceny, reckless endangerment and weapons charges in connection with an armed robbery of the Mobil gas station at 469 Rubber Ave.

The robbery occurred at about  9:15 p.m. Tuesday. Two men, dressed in all black, walked into the store and approached the clerk, according to police. One of the men displayed a handgun and the other grabbed the clerk by his shirt and moved him to the cash register, police said.

The suspects, identified by police as Jose Abraham and Luis Abraham, stole cash from the register and fled south on Rubber Avenue in a red pickup truck towards Cherry Street, police said.

No one was injured during the robbery, police said.

The pickup truck was located driving on Rubber Avenue near Cherry Street minutes later. Officers attempted to stop the truck, police said, but the diver wouldn’t stop. The truck finally stopped after striking a snow bank on Cherry Street Extension, police said.

After crashing, police said, the men tried to run from the truck. Officers were able to apprehend one of the suspects at the truck, as other officers pursued the second suspect on foot.

A police dog tracked the second suspect to the western bank of the Naugatuck River where he was taken into custody, police said.

Officers from Beacon Falls, Middlebury and the state police assisted borough police.  

Jose Abraham was charged with larceny in the fifth degree, conspiracy at larceny in the fifth degree, robbery in the first degree, conspiracy at robbery in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy at reckless endangerment in the first degree, weapons in vehicles, conspiracy at weapons in vehicles, carrying a dangerous weapon, larceny in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree, and disobeying the signal of an officer.

Luis Abraham was charged with reckless endangerment in the second degree, larceny in the third degree, robbery in the first degree, conspiracy at robbery in the first degree, larceny in the fifth degree, conspiracy at larceny in the fifth degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy at reckless endangerment in the first degree, weapons in vehicles and conspiracy at weapons in vehicles.

Both men have criminal records that date back to the 1990s and include convictions for robbery, burglary and larceny.

Both men were arraigned Wednesday morning in Waterbury Superior Court. They were held on $99,000 cash-only bonds. They’re due back in court on Jan. 22.