Man led cops on a second chase, had ghost gun

BRIDGEPORT — A local man, awaiting trial for allegedly leading police on a chase with drugs and guns in his car, was arrested again Monday afternoon after police said he led them in a new chase before crashing his car into one that had a young child inside.

Following his arrest, police said they found 26-year-old Victor Capozziello with a loaded polymer ghost gun.

He was charged with possession of a ghost gun, failure to have a gun permit, interfering with police, risk of injury to a child, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle and running from police.

During Capozziello’s arraignment Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Andres Bermudez Hallstrom urged Superior Court Judge William Holden to set a high bond for Capozziello, arguing that the defendant was told not to commit any new crimes after he was released on bond in May.

The judge ordered Capozziello held in lieu of $375,000 bond and continued the case for two weeks.

According to police, shortly after 3:30 p.m. Monday, members of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force were patrolling State Street when Lt. Jason Amato noticed a Jeep Cherokee driving erratically. But before Amato could pull the SUV over, police said, the Jeep sped off at high speed.

Police said the Jeep led officers in a pursuit to Rosedale Street where the driver, later identified as Capozziello, bailed out of the moving vehicle and took off running. The Jeep continued moving, crashing into a car where a 1-year-old child was sitting, police said.

Police said the child was not injured.

In the meantime, police said officers pursued Capozziello, eventually locating him on a second-floor porch on Olive Street. During the foot chase, police said officers saw Capozziello drop a handgun which officers recovered and determined to be a ghost gun loaded with six bullets.

This latest chase follows a previous one a few months ago. On May 25, Capozziello was released after posting a $100,000 bond after being charged with operating a drug factory, illegal possession of a gun in a motor vehicle and engaging police in a pursuit.

Police said in that instance, Capozziello had led police in a chase through the city’s East Side. When he was eventually stopped, police said they found large quantities of narcotics along with drug packaging materials and a handgun in Capozziello’s car.