2 Hamden Men Charged In Daylight Armed Carjacking In New Haven: Police

NEW HAVEN, CT —A daylight armed carjacking on Edgewood Avenue Tuesday led to the arrests of three, two men from Hamden and a North Branford teen, police said.

It was just before 5 p.m. when cops were called to the area of Beers Street near Edgewood Avenue where they met the victim, who said he was carjacked at gunpoint by two males, according to New Haven police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart. They took off with the victim's black Infiniti G37 sedan, Bruckhart said.

Officers put out a be-on-the-lookout for the vehicle and around 30 minutes later, detectives assigned to a crime suppression detail saw the vehicle being driven on Dixwell Avenue toward Bassett Street, Bruckhart said.

"When the vehicle stopped to pick up a passenger, detectives attempted to stop the vehicle," he said, adding that 22-year-old Rainford McKenzie, "who was getting into the car, was apprehended after he attempted to run from officers."

McKenzie had a handgun with a loaded high-capacity magazine, Bruckhart said.

Meanwhile, the Infiniti took off using the "sidewalk to get away, traveling at a high rate of speed," Bruckhart said. Police deployed stop sticks, which successfully punctured the car's tires as cops chased the Infiniti , which ultimately came to a stop in the area of Whalley Avenue and Carmel Street, Bruckhart said.

The front seat passenger, a 17-year-old male juvenile, fled from the passenger side holding his waistband, police said. "He was quickly caught and was in possession of two handguns, each with a high-capacity magazine," Bruckhart said.

The person driving the stolen car, Dyjhuane Brown, 19, was apprehended and taken into custody, police said.

Brown, of Hamden, was charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, interfering with police, two counts of having a weapon in a motor vehicle, evading responsibility and reckless driving.

McKenzie, also of Hamden, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, possessing a high capacity magazine, and interfering with police. Both men were assigned $500,000 bonds and were presented at court Wednesday morning, Bruckhart said.

The juvenile, of North Branford, was issued a juvenile's summons. He was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of having a weapon in a motor vehicle, two counts of possessing a high capacity magazine and interfering with police.

"This was excellent police work by our officers and a perfect example of the great work members of this department do every day," New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said. "From the patrol officers who took the initial report and relayed the information to the detectives who located and pursued the vehicle, we were able to make the arrests safely and effectively. We’ll also be testing the firearms to see if we can link them to other incidents in the city."