NORWICH POLICE MAKE TWO ARRESTS IN DECEMBER HOME INVASION, ASSAULT

Norwich — Police say a bitter business partnership breakup led to a Dec. 1 home invasion and assault at a home on West Town Street, according to a warrant filed for one man arrested this week in connection with the incident.

Police on Monday charged Luis Ruiz, 39, of Meriden with home invasion, second-degree assault, first-degree robbery and third-degree larceny in connection with the Dec. 1 home invasion at 83 W. Town St. in Norwich. Ruiz was arraigned Tuesday in Norwich Superior Court and is being held on a $300,000 bond, pending a June 4 court date.

Norwich police on April 27 charged Daniel O’Brien, 54, of 87 W. Town St. with accessory to commit home invasion, accessory to first-degree robbery, accessory to third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit home invasion, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny. He was held on a $150,000 bond pending a court appearance on June 5 in New London Superior Court, Part A, where major crimes are prosecuted. O’Brien also faces a first-degree larceny charge in a second case.

In the affidavit filed for Ruiz’s arrest, police said two victims were at 83 W. Town St. the evening of Dec. 1, when two men entered the home through a rear door, brandished a firearm and stole approximately $8,000 in rental payments collected from tenants of five rooming houses in Norwich, belonging to a business known as Autumn Oaks Investment LLC. A cellphone also was stolen.

One victim was assaulted and suffered several fractures to the face and head. The second victim also was assaulted and suffered minor injuries.

The second victim told police he did not know the assailants but said he recently had ended a four-year business partnership in Autumn Oaks with O’Brien. The first victim worked as property manager for the business.

The business partner told police only he, the property manager and O’Brien knew that the rent receipts were at the 83 W. Town St. home on Dec. 1. The partner also said O’Brien allegedly collected $2,550 in rental payments in October and failed to deposit them in the bank, an action that led to the dissolution of the partnership.

Police investigating the Dec. 1 home invasion and assault used a K-9 patrol to track the suspects to a nearby parking lot, and a cellphone finder app located the cellphone in the same area. Residents told police they had seen a hatchback vehicle later traced to Ruiz.

Police used cellphone search and seizure warrants to obtain cellphone records that connected O’Brien to Ruiz, and a witness told police O’Brien allegedly enlisted Ruiz and a man nicknamed “Psycho” to go to his former partner’s home, beat the two victims “badly” and they would be allowed to keep the rent money.

The affidavit said the witness was present when “Psycho” allegedly called O’Brien shortly after the robbery and assault “to let him know the job was done.”