Two local teens were charged with robbing a person in the parking lot of the Southington Police Department.
On Wednesday, March 19, police dispatchers monitoring video surveillance in the department’s front parking lot observed what they thought was an altercation. Police responded to the parking lot as one of the vehicles involved in the altercation was leaving. Dispatch was able to provide a license plate number and police subsequently stopped the car at the intersection of Lazy Lane and Curtis Street.
According to police, the victim, who was unknown to the alleged assailants and there on a completely different matter, was followed by two males, later identified as 18-year-old
Corey Maerz
and a 17-year-old juvenile.
As the victim got into a vehicle, the two teens allegedly approached and demanded money. According to the victim, the suspects stated they had firearms and that they would use them if necessary, adding that they would kill the victim’s family if they were caught.
The teens then attempted to go through the victim’s pockets looking for money. The victim took his wallet out of a backpack and the juvenile “snatched” the money from the victim’s hand.
The suspects then went to a friend’s vehicle in the SPD parking lot and left the area. At the time of the investigation it appears that the two other people in the vehicle were unaware of what happened and were at the station on an unrelated police matter, Police Spokesman Sgt. Jeff Dobratz said.
According to police, Maerz and the juvenile suspect were in the parking lot waiting for their friends to finish with their business inside the police station.
The victim visually identified Maerz and the juvenile as the suspects. Police video surveillance confirmed that Maerz and the juvenile made contact with the victim and the victim is seen getting inside the vehicle.
The victim told police that $22 was taken during the robbery. The money was not recovered.
“This was odd,” Dobratz said of the attempted robbery in front of the police station.
Maerz was charged with first degree robbery, second degree threatening, second degree breach of peace and sixth degree conspiracy to commit larceny. Bond was set at $2,500 with a March 20 court date.
The male juvenile, not named due to his age, was charged with first degree robbery, second degree threatening, second degree breach of peace and sixth degree larceny. He was transferred to a juvenile detention center on March 19.