By Jason J. Marchi, Sound Correspondent:
BRANFORD:
The intention might
have been to emulate a scene from an episode of prankster television shows, but
the assault and kidnapping hoax resulted in the arrest of five school chums and
tied up officers from four police authorities for almost two hours.
At 11:17 a.m. on
Aug. 15, police responded to a 911 call regarding an assault and possible
kidnapping in progress in the area of West Main Street and Alps Road.
“The caller told
police dispatchers that she had just witnessed what she described as an assault
and abduction,” stated Patrol Division Commander Lt. Geoffrey Morgan.
The caller told
dispatchers that four younger men, all white, attacked a lone black male,
shoved a towel “or similar article” into the black man’s mouth, began to beat
him, and forced him into a black minivan before speeding away in a westerly
direction on West Main Street.
Officers from
Branford, East Haven, New Haven, and Connecticut State Police were all notified
and began a search for the minivan.
A short time later a
Branford officer located the suspect vehicle—a black 2002 Volkswagen
Eurovan—parked and unoccupied in a commercial parking lot at 250 West Main
Street.
“After checking the
area, the four individuals were located in a nearby technical school,” Morgan
said. “Once interviewed, all four of the parties, who were friends and
attending the same school, told police that the incident was a hoax.”
All five men
involved in the prank (none of whom could be reached for comment) were arrested
and charged with one count each of breach of peace. They were: Vaugn Little,
19, of New Haven; Laurance Bardinelli, Jr., 20, of Monroe; Loren LeBlank, 19,
of Florence Road; Ian Kelly, 19, of New Haven; and Michael Cox, 19, of Madison.