Norwalk Man Arrested in Robbery at CVS

A Norwalk man was arrested after a Tuesday night robbery at CVS on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield in which he took the manager at gunpoint to an office, told her to open a safe and fled with $1,700, police said.

Dispatchers in the town's Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call about 9:58 p.m. in which they could hear screaming in the background and a male's voice saying, "It doesn't have to go down like this," police said.

Andre Gainer, 46, of Norvel Road, was captured by police after a Fairfield Police officer saw him driving about a quarter-mile away with his car's headlights turned off and followed him as Gainer turned onto Grace Street in Fairfield, police said. When Gainer reached a dead-end, he got out of the car and fled on foot, and a Fairfield sergeant and detective then found Gainer walking up to his girlfriend's house on Marlborough Terrace, police said.

The sergeant and detective confronted Gainer, who was holding his right hand behind his back, and ordered him to stop and show his hands. Gainer refused and stated, "I have a gun" before again fleeing on foot, police said.

Gainer was captured and charged with first-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny and carrying a facsimile of a firearm. He was held in lieu of $150,000 bond and was scheduled to appear Aug. 23 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

Two clerks and two customers were inside CVS at the time and provided police with a description of the suspect and car he drove off in, police said.

No one was injured and no shots were fired, police said.