By Tiffany Williams –
In East Haven, CT, a proactive police operation aimed at stopping crime before it starts turned into a high-speed pursuit and the arrest of two men found with weapons and gear often associated with violent activity.
Police say the operation was part of a targeted crime suppression detail conducted on April 10, 2026, in response to quality of life concerns and suspicious activity reported across town. Officers focused on identifying potential threats early, before crimes could unfold.
That effort took shape in the parking lot area of 65 Frontage Road, where Officer Robert Celentano and Officer Christopher Cameron spotted a red Subaru Impreza moving through the lot. Inside were two men wearing ski masks. The vehicle also had no license plate attached.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver did not comply.
Police identified the operator as 22-year-old Pablo Estrada-Vicente of New Britain. According to investigators, he fled through the lot, exited the Home Depot plaza the wrong way through a one-way entrance, and nearly struck vehicles entering the area.
The pursuit did not end there.
Estrada-Vicente continued onto I-95 south and then I-91 north, ignoring multiple attempts by officers to stop him. Authorities say coordination between East Haven Police, Connecticut State Police, and the Wallingford Police Department brought the situation under control when stop sticks were successfully deployed near the Route 15 on-ramp in Wallingford, disabling the vehicle.
Both occupants were taken into custody.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a machete, baseball bat, crowbar, the vehicle’s license plate, and a fixed blade knife. Police say Estrada-Vicente was still wearing a ski mask and had black rubber gloves, while his passenger, 34-year-old Antonio Gil of New Britain, was also wearing a ski mask.
Both men were arrested and taken to the East Haven Police Department for processing.
Estrada-Vicente is facing charges including weapons in a motor vehicle, engaging officers in pursuit, interfering with an officer, operating a motor vehicle without insurance, and reckless driving. He was released on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on April 22, 2026.
Gil is charged with weapons in a motor vehicle. He was released on a $25,000 bond and is also scheduled to appear in New Haven Superior Court on April 22, 2026.
Police say the circumstances and items recovered align with the type of activity the operation was designed to prevent, underscoring the department’s focus on stopping potential crimes before they happen.