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Jerry Diaz, 20, of Stamford, was arrested by Stamford Police around 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 16, in what started as a call for a harassment complaint at 27 High Ridge Road, said Sgt. Jeffrey Booth.
According to Booth, the suspect in the complaint was Diaz, who is facing manslaughter charges in the death of two people who were in a vehicle he was driving when it crashed in August 2019.
Officer Lindsey Yanicky of the Traffic Enforcement Unit, recognized Diaz’s name on the dispatch screen and saw that he had been seen driving a vehicle.
Diaz is currently out on bond on several felony charges related to the double fatal crash on Canal St at the junction with Ludlow Street, and is not allowed to drive a vehicle, Booth said.
Yanicky contacted the officer who was headed to the call and informed him of the situation.
The officer went to the Diaz residence, where the vehicle he was suspected of driving was located unoccupied, Booth said,
Officer Chris Brown, who was investigating the initial complaint and was told by the victim that during the incident, Diaz displayed a gun and pointed at her and one of her co-workers in a threatening manner, police said.
Upon finding out that a gun was displayed, Brown immediately notified the officers at the house.
As the officers were devising a tactical plan, they saw a gray Chrysler 300 with heavily tinted windows exit the driveway of Diaz’s residence at a high rate of speed.
Believing that Diaz was in the vehicle, the officers followed and caught up to the vehicle made a motor vehicle stop on Henry Street.
Another officer stayed at the home in case Diaz was still inside, Booth added.
As the officers approached the vehicle, they confirmed that Diaz was in the passenger seat.
Both Diaz and the driver were removed from the vehicle. Diaz was placed under arrest for the incident at 27 High Ridge Road.
A search of the area of the vehicle in which he was sitting revealed that there was a .380 Caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun, with an extended high capacity magazine, underneath the passenger seat.
The weapon was loaded with a total of 11 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber, ready to fire, Booth said.
He was also found in possession of 14 pills which were later determined to be ecstasy, police said.
Diaz was transported to the Stamford Police Department where he was charged with:
- Two counts of threatening
- Two counts of reckless endangerment
- Possession of a pistol w/o a permit
- Possession of a high capacity magazine
- Having a weapon in a motor vehicle
- Possession of a controlled substance
- Possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell
- Violation of conditions of release
- Operation of a motor vehicle under suspension
Diaz was currently out on a total of $400,000 in bonds for his various pending charges. Based on what happened in this case, he is being held on an additional bond of $750,000.
"I would personally like to commend the actions of all the officers involved in this incident today," said Booth.
The driver of the vehicle is not facing any criminal charges at this time.
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