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Danbury detectives identified the three suspects, who are believed to have been involved in most, if not all, of these reported crimes. Detectives interviewed victims and witnesses and collected evidence.
Arrest warrants were granted and executed for these three men:
Osvaldo Lopez, 29, of Danbury, who was already incarcerated with the Department of Correction on an unrelated charge, was arrested Dec. 21. He was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree larceny with a court-set $250,000 bond.
This arrest was a result of the investigation on Nov. 4 at 8:35 p.m., when multiple officers were dispatched to the Mobil Gas Station at 112 Newtown Road on a report of a stolen motor vehicle.
A woman told police that, as she was pumping gas, Lopez entered her vehicle through the driver door. She ran around the vehicle to the door and attempted to stop Lopez, but he slammed the car door closed in her face. She was still holding the door handle when Lopez drove away, which caused her to fall to the ground.
Lopez was also charged with first-degree robbery with a court-set bond of $75,000. This arrest was in connection with an armed robbery investigation at 6:14 p.m. Nov. 4, when patrol officers were dispatched to Reina Grocery Store, a bodega at 41 South St.
Lopez threatened store employees with a "long shotgun" and demanded money from the cash register. He then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash in a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Newtown on Nov. 2. This stolen vehicle was recovered two hours later at the Mobil, where Lopez reportedly stole another vehicle from a woman who had been pumping gas (the first incident).
Carlos Mejias-Montero, 26, of Naugatuck, was arrested by Danbury police detectives Dec. 21 and charged with second-degree larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, first-degree robbery, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint. He was held on $150,000 court-set bond.
This arrest was a result of an investigation into an armed robbery at Edwin and Julia Liquor Store at 100 Westville Ave. at 8:09 p.m. Oct. 11.
Mejias-Montero entered the store with another suspect, threatened the store employee with a handgun and demanded cash from the register. Mejias-Montero and the other suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash as well as several bottles of liquor and cigarettes.
Giovani Canales, 26, of Danbury, was arrested by Danbury detectives Jan. 2. Canales was charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, criminal possession of a firearm, first-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor and held on $150,000 court-set bond.
This arrest was a result of the investigation into an armed robbery at 9:25 p.m. Nov. 25 at Valentin Travel & Sur Express, a bodega at 24 Elm St.
Canales entered the store and threatened an employee with a handgun, demanding cash from the register. As Canales was pointing the handgun, the store employee's juvenile daughter was standing next to her. Canales fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Investigations into the armed robberies are continuing, police said. More arrests are expected, police said.
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