Record-Journal staff
MERIDEN — A suspect is in custody after a motorist was shot during a violent carjacking on St. Casimir Drive, police said in a statement Friday.
Officers responded to several calls of shots fired in the area of 43 St. Casimir Drive at around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday and located a victim with a gunshot wound in the leg. The victim was taken to MidState Medical Center and then to Hartford Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Major Crimes Detectives responded to assist with the investigation. It was determined that the victim’s car had been stolen during the assault. A suspect was identified later in the day and eventually located in Vernon in the victim’s stolen motor vehicle. Also in the vehicle were a firearm and illegal narcotics, police said. The suspect is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Vernon police arrested the suspect and charged him with the stolen motor vehicle, illegal firearm, and narcotics posession. Meriden police did not release the name of the suspect as the investigation into the shooting continues.
Manchester police and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force assisted in locating the suspect.
The Meriden Detective Division is continuing the investigation and working with the Vernon Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney Office to secure an arrest warrant for the suspect in the shooting on St. Casimir Drive, Meriden police said in the statement Friday.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Det. Giannakopoulos at 203-630-6339 or at tgiannakopoulos@meridenct.gov.