Date: January
2, 2018
Incident: Stamford
Man Arrested For Multiple Assaults
Issued by: Lieutenant
Jeremiah P. Marron Jr.
Darien, CT – On
December 8, 2017 at approximately 2:45 pm, Darien officers responded to an
assault in progress in the Whole Foods Market parking lot located at 150 Ledge
Rd. Upon arrival, officers located a group
of bystanders who were restraining a man who had reportedly assaulted two
victims in the parking lot.
The suspect, a Whole Foods Market employee, was identified as Derrick
Gonzalez, age 27, of 47 Mulberry St. Stamford.
Gonzalez was very combative, was acting erratically and was screaming
incoherently. He was immediately
handcuffed and restrained by officers.
At that point Gonzalez stated he couldn’t see anything and Darien EMS
and paramedics were called to the scene.
Gonzalez was subsequently sedated by paramedics and would later admit to
using marijuana laced with Phencyclidine (PCP).
Investigation revealed that Gonzalez
approached victim #1, another Whole Foods employee, in the parking lot of Whole
Foods. Victim #1, a 59 year old Norwalk
man, was collecting shopping carts in the lot when Gonzalez approached
him. Victim #1 reported that Gonzalez
grabbed his jacket with one hand and his groin with the other and forced him to
the ground near a pile of rock salt.
Victim #1 then stated that Gonzalez repeatedly slammed his head into the
pile of rock salt.
At that point Victim #2, a 57 year old
Stamford woman, had just parked her car in the Whole Foods lot and observed the
two struggling. She immediately attempted
to intervene and yelled for Gonzalez to get off of victim #1. Upon observing victim #2, Gonzalez ran
towards her and began attacking her.
Victim #2 stated that Gonzalez knocked her to the ground, kicked her in
the head, dragged her, jumped on top of her, pulled her hair and began to slam
her head into the pile of rock salt.
After a period of time, bystanders observed what was going on and
intervened by restraining Gonzalez and calling 911.
Both victims sustained minor
injuries. It was also later determined
that victim #1 is a protected party under Connecticut General Statute
53a-61a. Both victims were transported
to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. During the entire incident, Gonzalez was
screaming uncontrollably and continuously resisted officer’s attempts to detain
him. He was subsequently transported to
the hospital for evaluation.
On 12/20/2017 Darien officers applied for and were granted a warrant
for Gonzalez’s arrest. On 01/02/2018
officers from the Darien Police Patrol Division, Selective Enforcement Unit and
members of the Stamford Police Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit responded to
Gonzalez’s residence and executed the warrant.
He was taken into custody without incident.
He was then transported to Darien Police Headquarters and charged with:
·
Assault in the 3rd Degree of a
Blind or Disabled Person
·
Assault in the 2nd Degree
·
Interfering With An Officer
·
Breach of Peace
Gonzalez was issued a $10,000.00 bond and is scheduled to appear in
Stamford Superior Court on January 15, 2018.
Gonzalez was unable to post bond and remains in the custody of the
Darien Police Department. No further
information is being released at this time.
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