2 arrested in Waterbury motel protest

WATERBURY — A local motel was damaged and two people were arrested during a Friday night protest, where more than 100 people gathered in support of the establishment being shut down, according to police.

The group gathered around 5:30 p.m. in the area of the Big Apple Motel at 428 West Main St. Police officers were dispatched to monitor the protest.

The focus of the protest, which began late Friday afternoon and continued late into the evening, was the motel, which opened a few years ago and racked up a slew of complaints ranging from criminal mischief to drug overdoses, according to the Republican-American.

Police said protesters were there to call for the hotel to close down.

The owner of the establishment, Aijaz Ahmed, told the Republican-American he takes many precautions to screen guests, adding that he refuses rooms to people he views as suspect. He said he works with police when there is an issue.

By 7 p.m. Friday, police said, the crowd grew to a group of more than 100 people. Police said protesters were blocking some of the nearby streets.

Police said some of those in the group became “violent,” adding that “several individuals were on the roof seen trying to damage the electronic billboard sign while others were breaking the front windows on the business.”

Some of those protesters allegedly went inside the business through broken windows and started to damage property, according to police. The department said when officers went inside the motel to check for any potential injuries, the group of protesters headed back into the street.

According to the Republican-American’s coverage of the protest, a handful of individuals climbed onto the roof and pulled the motel’s electronic sign from the front of the building. The news organization reported that another group broke at least one window and some people stormed the motel lobby.

Officers identified one boy, who they say threw a “metal object” through the front window of the business before running away, who was taken into custody in the area of Willow Street and West Main Street. The 16-year-old was charged with second-degree criminal mischief.

Later, near the hotel, police said a man allegedly “picked up a rock, made eye contact with a patrol sergeant and threw the rock at the sergeant.” The rock missed the sergeant’s head.

The man, identified by police as 20-year-old Angel Troche, of Waterbury, was charged with criminal attempt at assault on a public safety officer. He was held on a $5,000 bond.