Serial Robber Apprehended in Hartford

On Tuesday evening, a suspected serial robber was finally apprehended in Hartford after trying to rob another South End store. A police sergeant was in line at the Franklin Avenue Walgreens and was able to chase the robber down and capture him. Joe Santos, 26, has been charged with criminal trespassing and interfering with an officer and will likely also be charged with robbery and larceny within the next few days. Santos is believed to to be the same robber that was complicit in two dozen similar incidents throughout Hartford and was also discovered to have three felony warrants for domestic incidents.

According to Lieutenant Cicero, Santos was charged with about twelve offenses, “let alone additional warrants to come in connection with the other robberies.” Cicero also stated, “It’s good to catch a robber, but I’m even more happy we were able to take someone with these kinds of domestic violence charges off the streets.”

Hartford police have spent weeks trying to find the individual responsible for robbing several stores by simply grabbing as many items as possible and then bolting. The police noted that Santos was able to leave the location before any of the employees noticed and was probably trying to make quick cash by reselling the items.

At the beginning of the week, Officer Taikwon Dudley and Sgt. James Rutkauski decided to work extra shifts and ramp up the investigation in order to locate the robber, but their first several shifts were unsuccessful. In a turn of fate, however, Rutkauski happened to be in a Walgreens when a man matching Santos’ description walked in. The man tried to grab as many items as he could while the officer watched from nearby. When Santos tried to exit, Rutkauski grabbed him by the shirt to try to stop him but was not able to do so. A chase then ensued until the perpetrator was apprehended.

Santos was held Tuesday night and appeared in the Superior Court in Hartford earlier this afternoon.