New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Police ‘confident arrests will be made’ in cafe shootout
EAST HAVEN — Police Monday continued to investigate the series of shots fired at the Rumba Café Bar and Lounge early Sunday, which left several vehicles struck by gunfire, but no one injured.
Capt. Joseph Murgo said in a late Monday morning email that officers were “steadily working on identifying all parties involved.”
“We have been coordinating with several other agencies as well and are confident arrests will be made as a result of our investigation which is still extremely active and ongoing,” said Murgo.
Mayor Joe Carfora underscored the seriousness of the case Monday.“This is (an) ongoing investigation that we do not take lightly.
Once more information is gathered we will address it accordingly,” Carfora said, in a statement. “East Haven Police Investigative Services Division is working with several outside agencies in an effort to coordinate all of our available resources to identify and apprehend all parties involved.”
Officers were dispatched around 1:10 a.m. to Rumba Café Bar and Lounge at 679 Main St. for a report of gunshots in the area, police said in an email Sunday.
Once police arrived, several vehicles in the parking lot were observed to have been struck by gunfire, as had the McDonald’s adjacent to the parking lot, police said.
After reviewing video surveillance footage, police determined that a man believed to be in his 20s wearing a red hat backward, a black T-shirt and dark-colored jeans entered a newer model blue vehicle, then allegedly returned to the rear parking lot of Rumba in possession of multiple firearms and fired multiple shots, according to the department.
A second shooter, who appears to have been in a dispute with another individual, appears to retrieve a firearm from a newer model black vehicle, according to the surveillance video, before allegedly returning fire across his vehicle toward the parking lot, police said.
Rumba’s patrons in the parking lot fled and ran for cover, police said. One of the vehicles struck had two occupants but neither was injured, according to police. Rumba was not yet open Monday and did not respond to a message left seeking comment.
East Haven police are asking for help in identifying the men, vehicles and a woman who was inside Rumba with one of the shooters.
All information obtained will remain anonymous, police said.
The department asked anyone with any information related to the incident to contact Detective Joe Carangelo at jcarangelo@easthavenpolice.com or 203-468-3827, noting members of the public can also reach out via Facebook or Instagram.