Two Connecticut men were arrested on weapons charges, and a submachine gun and a semiautomatic handgun were recovered, after a stolen vehicle fled from Westchester County Police on Monday afternoon.
One suspect was taken into custody immediately when he ran from the stolen car in Mount Vernon. The other was captured in Scarsdale after an hours-long search involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
“I would like to commend our officers and all of our law enforcement partners for their coordinated response, effective communication and contributions to taking these two suspects into custody yesterday and removing these deadly weapons from our streets,” Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor said.
The incident began about 1:35 p.m. when the Real Time Crime Center notified patrol units that a stolen black Audi was traveling near the Pelham-Mount Vernon border. A County Police officer canvassed the area and located the stolen car on East Sandford Blvd.
When the suspects saw the police vehicle approaching, the Audi abruptly turned into Union Avenue where a male passenger jumped out sprinted away, dropping a semi-automatic handgun as he did so. That suspect was captured after a foot pursuit with the assistance of Mount Vernon police officers.
Knowing that the Audi had been reported stolen from Westport, Conn, a County police officer anticipated the potential path of the suspect vehicle and set up on the northbound side of the Hutchinson River Parkway. A short time later, the officer spotted the fleeing Audi being driven recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic. As he caught up to it, the stolen car sideswiped a motorist near the Weaver Street exit. The officer stopped to render assistance to the occupants of the struck vehicle who suffered minor injuries.
Other responding officers located the Audi abandoned near the Mamaroneck Road exit in Scarsdale.
A check of the vehicle revealed a “MAC-10” style submachine gun with an extended magazine on the back seat. This weapon, and the Ruger handgun recovered in Mount Vernon, were later determined to be stolen.
Multiple police agencies responded to search for the second suspect, including the Scarsdale Police Department, Town of Mamaroneck Police Department, New Rochelle Police Department, MTA Police Department and members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Westchester County Police also deployed its Aviation Unit helicopter, its tactical team (known formally as the Special Response Team), and a tracking canine/bloodhound.
With assistance from an observant foursome playing golf at a nearby golf club, officers were able to obtain a more detailed description of the suspect, including that he was without any shoes on his feet. They also reported that the man had fled into a wooded area east of the parkway. With help from Westchester County Emergency Management personnel, an incident command post was set up as multiple officers flooded the area for a search.
Scarsdale Police Chief Andrew Matturro and Town of Mamaroneck Police Chief Paul Creazzo were instrumental at the command post, providing officers to assist with establishing a perimeter and putting out information to residents in the adjacent neighborhoods. That proved valuable later in the evening when a Scarsdale resident spotted a shoeless man in his neighborhood and promptly called police. Scarsdale PD found the suspect and took him into custody.
Westchester County Police charged Jariel Agron, 19, and Jose Garcia, 18, both of New Britain, Conn., with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd and 3rd Degree, and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4th Degree. Additional charges are likely. They were held overnight at County Police headquarters in Hawthorne pending arraignment today in Mount Vernon City Court.
