Fairfield Bakery Robbery Suspect Charged, in Custody

[Editor's Note: Arrest information is supplied by the . It does not indicate convictions.]

A Shelton man was charged Saturday in connection with at least one armed robbery in Fairfield and several in Bridgeport and Stratford, police said.

Christopher French, 36, of Huntington Heights in Shelton, was charged with first-degree robbery and fifth-degree larceny after he was arrested on a warrant in Trumbull by Fairfield police for his suspected involvement in the

Police believe French was also involved in a robbery reported at Sahara, a tanning salon at 173 Post Road on Friday.

According to the report, a white male matching French’s description entered Sahara Tanning and asked if the salon sold clothing. The employee -- who was the only person in the store at that time – said no and told the man that the boutique was closed, police said. The employee told the police that the man demanded everything in the register and then lifted his shirt, revealing a silver and black handgun in the waistband of his pants.

The suspect then reportedly brought the employee to the back of the store and told her to stay there, police said. She stayed in the back until she heard a customer enter the store. The suspect had fled by then and the employee did not know which direction he went, police said.

Evidence recovered at the tanning salon linked French to the scene, police said. Police are waiting on a warrant for further charges for this robbery.

French was detained on Saturday, charged for the Adam’s Bakery robbery, and held a $500,000 bond. He was scheduled for arraignment in court today.

Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said that the department learned there was a robbery in Bridgeport committed the day before the Adam’s Bakery robbery committed by a suspect matching French’s description. Police learned of another robbery in Bridgeport that day after the Adam’s Bakery robbery and several reports of robberies in Stratford that may be linked to French.

MacNamara said police were concerned that the suspect appeared to be committing armed robberies on a nearly daily basis and could have been getting more empowered with each success.

“We’re thankful we took this individual into custody before his violent spree led to injuries or the death of anyone,” MacNamara said.