Middletown Man Remains In Custody On High Bond In Manchester-Vernon Motel Hatchet Attack

MANCHESTER, CT — A man charged in connection with a hatchet attack at a motel on the Manchester-Vernon line remained in custody on a half-million-dollar bond following his arraignment Monday, judicial system records indicate.

Police records show that the hatchet attack took place at 1:06 p.m. Friday at the Travelodge, officially listed at 51 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, but the hotel spills over the line into Manchester. The incident took place on the Manchester side of the property, police said.

A woman had been attacked by a man in the parking lot of the hotel, who then fled the scene on foot, according to an incident report. The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to an incident report.

Manchester officers, with the assistance of a Manchester police canine unit and the Vernon Police Department, searched the area and the suspect was located on the nearby Hockanum River Trail by police dog Dakota.

He was taken into custody without incident, police said.

The suspect was subsequently identified as Jose Perez, 38, of Middletown.

Perez has been charged with:

• Second-degree assault
• First-degree reckless endangerment
• First-degree unlawful restraint
• Second-degree breach of peace
• Carrying a dangerous weapon

Perez was held over the weekend on a $500,000 bond, which was upheld at his Monday arraignment.

He scheduled for a second appearance in Manchester Superior Court on July 31, judicial system records show.