GROTON CITY POLICE CHARGE 2 IN ROBBERY OF CASINO PATRON

Groton — City police say they arrested two Massachusetts men early Sunday morning after they say the pair purposely crashed into a vehicle on the Clarence B. Sharp Highway and then robbed the victim of thousands of dollars in cash and casino chips.

Rafael Almeida, 19, of Brockton, and Emanuel M. Dos-Santos, 22, of Boston, were each charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with a police officer. Dos-Santos was also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree threatening and second-degree unlawful restraint. Each man was held on a $100,000 bond. They are slated to appear in New London Superior Court on Monday.

Police said their preliminary investigation indicates Almeida and Dos-Santos followed the man from an out-of-state casino and then caused the car crash. Police heard the crash and responded. As they did, police received a 911 call from the victim who was yelling for help. Police could also hear a loud disturbance. When police arrived at the crash scene, they said one of the men was pinning the victim down outside of his vehicle and both men were robbing him. Almeida and Dos-Santos then fled into a wooded area between the highway and the City Municipal Building, which also houses the police department.

Police said one of the men fell in the woods and was found by an officer. He was later taken to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released back to police. The other man was taken into custody after a brief search. Police said a search of the area found items stolen from the victim including several thousands dollars in cash, several thousand dollars in casino chips, keys and a cellphone.

Police are continuing their investigation and ask anyone with information about the case to call detectives at (860) 446-4186.