Members of the Westport Police Department were dispatched to Starbucks at approximately 7 p.m. on June 22, officials announced on Monday. Upon arrival, police said that the officers were told by employees that a suspect - later identified as Manhattan resident Carl Nicolas - attempted to go to a second-floor storage area.
According to police, when told by employees that the area was not for customers, Nicolas allegedly began screaming at employees and refused to leave, despite multiple requests from the staff to do so. At one point, he allegedly lunged over the counter at employees, which is when police were called to the scene as Nicolas fled.
Officers were able to track down Nicolas “a short distance away,” and police said that he struggled with the officers who attempted to detain him. He was eventually corralled, taken into custody and subsequently refused to answer basic demographic questions while he was being booked at Westport Police Headquarters. He also refused to be fingerprinted until the following day.
Nicolas was charged with breach of peace, first-degree criminal trespassing, interfering with an officer and failure to submit to fingerprinting. Following arraignment, investigators said that Nicolas was unable to post $500 bond and he was transported to court for arraignment on Monday.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Westport and receive free news updates.