Man receives 6 months for riding stolen motorycle

TORRINGTON — A Barkhamsted man is set to serve six months in prison after being caught in North Canaan riding a motorcycle that had been reported stolen.

Zachary Armento, 22, of 87 New Hartford Road, Barkhamsted, pleaded guilty to substitute charges of interfering with police and use of motor vehicle without owner permission Thursday in Superior Court in Torrington.

Armento was previously arraigned Sept. 26 on charges of interfering with an officer/resisting arrest, third-degree larceny, failure to obey traffic control signals, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance and failure to drive in the proper lane, according to court records.

He was also facing two counts of violation of probation in Superior Court proceedings after a March 11 arrest by Winsted police, according to state records. Armento was found guilty of risk of injury to child and possession of narcotics in May 2015. He had previously admitted these violations of probation.

State police said in an investigation report that Armento stopped the motorcycle, which did not have a visible registration plate, at the intersection of Routes 7 and 44 in North Canaan shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 26.

“I positioned myself behind the motorcycle and when the light turned green I activated my lights and sirens. The motorcycle accelerated at a high rate of speed and I turned off my lights and sirens in front of the McDonald’s restaurant on Route 44 in North Caanan,” said Trooper Andreas Spoerk in the report. “I observed the motorcycle travel at a high rate of speed through the solid red light at the intersection of Route 44 and Route 7 in Norh Caanan and travel onto West Main Street.”

Spoerk swept the area, but was unable to locate the motorcycle or Armento, according to the report. He then parked at the intersection of Route 44 and West Main Street and was discussing the incident with another trooper when he saw the motorcycle approaching at a slow speed, according to the report. The other trooper moved his vehicle into position to intercept the motorcycle.

“(T)he motorcycle left the roadway to the right and fell over onto the west grassy shoulder,” said Spoerk. “The driver of the motorcycle, later identified as Zachary Armento... got to his feet and started running west on Route 44.”

Spoerk followed Armento in his cruiser and on foot and later apprehended him with the aid of the other trooper, according to the report.

A record check indicated that the motorcycle was reported stolen Sept. 21 in Waterbury.

“Armento stated that he had rented the motorcycle from an acquaintance and that the license plate, taken from a different motorcycle, had fallen off... earlier in the day,” said Spoerk.

Armento received a sentence of six-and-a-half years in prison, suspended after six months, with 17 months probation Thursday.

This sentence stems from the violation of probation charge — he was also sentenced to two three-month sentences on each of the misdemeanor charges, which will run concurrently.