Monroe Police Chase

Spills Into Newtown

 By Andrew Gorosko

Following a police chase that started in Monroe near Stevenson Dam and ended several miles away in a four-vehicle collision in Newtown off Route 34, Monroe police arrested a Hamden man on more than 16 criminal and motor vehicle charges stemming from the incident.

At about 12:30 am on April 14, a Monroe police officer who was patrolling Webb Mountain Park off Route 34 spotted a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck parked there after hours, Monroe police said.

When that officer approached the truck in seeking to learn why it was there, the truck’s driver, James V. Landino, Jr, 51, of Hamden was evasive and uncooperative, police said.

When another Monroe police officer arrived at the park, Landino fled the scene in the truck, almost striking both officers, police said.

Landino disregarded the police vehicles’ emergency lights and sirens and would not stop, police said. After he drove off the road in several places, Landino led the pursuing police onto Route 34 and into Newtown, where he eventually turned to the right off Route 34 and entered the dead-end Homer Clark Lane, according to police.

Newtown police said that Landino attempted to turn the truck around in the driveway and on the front lawn of 6 Homer Clark Lane.

“As the Monroe police officers positioned their vehicles to stop him…he rammed the police cars several times in an attempt to escape,” Monroe police said.

Eventually, Landino drove into a stone wall, causing his truck to become disabled, Newtown police said.

Monroe police then took him into custody.

The three Monroe police vehicles that were damaged in the incident were a Ford Explorer SUV driven by Officer Jay Torreso, 44, and Ford Crown Victoria sedans driven by Officer James Palmieri, 28, and Officer Brooke Larsen, 23, Newtown police said.

Officer Palmieri received a wrist injury in the incident and went to St Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport to be checked, Newtown police said.

Newtown police said they pressed no charges against Landino.

Monroe police, however, lodged more than 16 offenses against him.

The charges include three counts of assault on a police officer, three counts of disobeying a police officer’s signal, two counts of reckless driving, plus single counts of engaging police in pursuit, failure to keep prescription drugs in their original container, possession of narcotics, first-degree criminal mischief, tampering with or fabricating evidence, interfering with police, and breach of peace, plus multiple motor vehicle violations.

Monroe police held Landino on $150,000 bail for arraignment on April 15 in Bridgeport Superior Court.