MERIDEN — A man shot by police in February faces new charges of robbery and larceny in connection with a string of vehicle thefts and armed robberies.
Kenneth Strothers, 24, of 70 Liberty St., was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny and second-degree assault.
On Jan. 27 police responded to the Shell gas station, 934 Broad St., after a silver Nissan Rogue was stolen while the owner went into the store, according to a police report. Shortly after, the vehicle was used in an armed robbery at the Henny Penny in Southington and about 15 minutes later in an armed robbery at the Xtra Mart gas station in Meriden.
Later that afternoon, Meriden police found the Nissan on Franklin Street with a shirt sticking out of the gas tank. “It appeared someone had tried to set the vehicle on fire as a forensic countermeasure,” the report said.
A homeless shelter behavior report on Strothers was found inside the vehicle, the report said. Police checked with the shelter and confirmed Strothers stayed there on Jan. 26.
A stolen Honda CR-V was used in armed robberies on Jan. 29 at a 7-Eleven and at a Valero gas station in Meriden and at a Shell gas station in West Hartford. The Honda CR-V was reported stolen out of Cromwell on Jan. 28 from a gas station on Berlin Road.
On Feb. 1 around 2:45 a.m. New Britain police responded to an armed robbery at Noble gas station, 973 Farmington Ave. The man displayed a handgun and pistol whipped the clerk, according to the report.
While on a call for a report of a suicidal man with a gun on Feb. 2, Meriden police met with Strothers and noticed he was wearing clothing that matched some of the security video images from the robberies. Strothers also matched the physical description of the suspect in the incidents. He was admitted to MidState Medical Center. Police later obtained arrest warrants for the charges.
Meriden police investigated an armed robbery on Feb. 5 at 133 Chamberlain Highway where the suspect robbed the store at gunpoint and struck a clerk with the gun, Capt. John Mennone said in a press release Friday. Strothers was identified as the suspect in the case.
Meriden police responded to the Flamingo Inn, 1601 N. Broad St., on Feb. 12 after West Hartford police obtained information that a person matching Strothers’ description was staying there. Strothers fled from police on foot to an adjacent property. During the incident, Meriden Detective Eric Simonson fired through the front passenger window of a vehicle, striking Strothers in the abdomen, the preliminary report said. Police say they found a gun under Strothers at the scene. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Strothers is held on a total of $1.361 million bonds for all of his cases pending throughout the state. He is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court on April 21.
lsellew@record-journal.com203-317-2225Twitter: @LaurenSellewRJ