State Police Arrest Garner Inmates

State police report three recent incidents involving inmates now being held at Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high security prison at 50 Nunnawauk Road.

At about 6 pm on March 12, state police responded to the prison after Garner officials informed them that a fire had occurred there.

After investigating, state police arrested Garner inmate Antonio Ruiz, 20, charging him with third-degree arson. State police said Ruiz intentionally caused a fire within his cell, resulting in smoke damage. There were no injuries.

Ruiz was scheduled to appear in court to answer the arson charge. Ruiz is being held at Garner on $1.5 million bail as an unsentenced inmate who is facing a pending murder charge.

On March 13, state police arrested Garner inmate William Sullivan, 49, on a warrant at Danbury Superior Court, listing charges of third-degree assault and criminal attempt to assault a correction officer. The charges stem from a past incident.

Sullivan was arraigned in court that day on the charges. Sullivan is serving a two-year sentence at Garner on a conviction for first-degree criminal trespassing.

On March 16, state police went to Garner to investigate a report that an unidentified inmate, who is now being held there, had been sexually assaulted eight days earlier when he was incarcerated at Hartford Correctional Center. State police from Troop A in Southbury referred the criminal case to state police at Troop H in Hartford.