Teens charged in armed robbery of landscaper

BRIDGEPORT — Three teenagers who police said were suspected in a number of robberies and shootings in the city’s East End were arrested Thursday on charges they robbed a local landscaper.

Avery Humphrey, 18, of Stratford Avenue and two other teens who were not identified because they are younger than 18 and considered juveniles, were charged with first-degree robbery, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possession of a pistol in a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a large capacity magazine.

“This was the daytime armed robbery of a man who was just doing his legal job of landscaping,” Superior Court Judge Peter McShane said during Humphrey’s arraignment

Friday afternoon. “These are very serious charges.”

He ordered Humphrey held in lieu of $155,00 bond and continued the case to June 3.

The two juveniles were turned over to state juvenile authorities.

Police said officers were dispatched to Newfield Avenue on Wednesday afternoon for a robbery complaint.

The man they met told officers he had been hired to do landscaping by a homeowner and was working on the front lawn of the home when he was approached by three men wearing hooded sweatshirts who, he said, pointed guns at him and demanded his money, according to police.

The three fled with the man’s wallet containing $1,200 in cash, police said.

Police said they turned the investigation of the robbery over to the State Police Gang Task Force which had been investigating similar crimes in the city’s East End.

On Thursday, police said, task force members, working on information that one of the arrested juveniles was involved in the robbery of the landscaper, pulled over his car on Holly Street. Inside the car they also found Humphrey and the second juvenile, police said.

Police said that during a search of the car, they found the landscaper’s wallet as well as two loaded handguns and a 17round magazine.

Police said Humphrey allegedly admitted taking part in the robbery of the landscaper but claimed the robbery had been the juveniles’ idea.

“That’s what these young kids do,” police said Humphrey told them.