Police Blotter for July 23: Robbery Arrest at The Home Depot

Friday's press briefing at the Fairfield Police Department included the following cases:

A 33-year-old Bridgeport man accused of punching a security officer in the face while trying to steal a five-tool combo kit from The Home Depot in Fairfield on March 13 was arrested on a warrant Thursday.

Andre Cruz Mendoza, of Cedar Street, was charged with criminal attempt to commit third-degree robbery and criminal attempt to commit fifth-degree larceny. He was held in lieu of $25,000 bond and appeared in Bridgeport Superior Court Friday, police said.

Police said Mendoza and the security officer struggled after Mendoze tried to leave the store without paying for the took kit, valued at $719, and that Mendoza slipped out of his jacket and broke free after he punched the security officer in the face. Mendoza's jacket contained a hypodermic needle, metal pipe and sunglasses case. He fled in a rental car driven by another man eastbound on Kings Highway Cutoff, police said.

Security officers recognized Mendoza on surveillance tape from prior incidents at Home Depots in Fairfield and Stratford, police said.

An 18-year-old Fairfield man who tried to take his wife's wedding ring off her finger while holding her down on a bed with his hand on her throat was arrested Thursday on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Cody Ropiak, of Black Rock Turnpike, posted $100 bond and was scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court Friday.

Police said Ropiak and his wife got into an argument in their home about 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Ropiak asked his wife for the wedding ring, and, when she refused, he tried to take it off her finger and she kicked him, police said. Ropiak then held her down on a bed with his hand on her throat and tried to take the ring off, police said. A neighbor called police, police said.

A 32-year-old Stratford man accused of threatening to kill his girlfriend while she was at her mother's house in Fairfield was charged by Fairfield Police with threatening Thursday night.

Hector Mendez, of Larkin Court, was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Friday.

Police said the woman left Mendez' home after getting into an argument with him and that Mendez called her while she was in Fairfield and said he was going to slit her throat. He then sent her a text message in which he threatened to kill himself, police said.

Stratford Police went to Mendez' home in Stratford and detained him until Fairfield officers arrived, police said.

A 17-year-old cashier at Office Max in Fairfield, accused of stealing $330 by scanning merchandise and then returning it for a refund from February 21 to March 10, was arrested on a warrant Thursday after she turned herself in at the Fairfield Police Department.

The Bridgeport girl, whose name was not released by police because she is considered a youthful offender under state law, was charged with 13 counts of sixth-degree larceny and 12 counts of forgery. She was held in lieu of $2,500 bond and was scheduled to appear Aug. 2 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

A fourth suspect in a July 12 incident that involved a 16-year-old driver leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen car to Fairfield Beach, where he crashed into a stone wall after trying to run down an officer who fired two defensive shots in response, was arrested Thursday night.

Giovanni Hudson, 18, of Washington Village in Norwalk, who was a passenger in the car, was charged with third-degree larceny and interfering with a police officer. The car had been stolen at gunpoint in a carjacking in Norwalk a day earlier, police said.

Norwalk Police detained Hudson until Fairfield Police officers arrived. Hudson appeared Friday in Bridgeport Superior Court.

Police arrested the 16-year-old driver and two passengers, both 17 years old, on July 12  after the car crashed into a stone wall on Craig Court and they fled from the car. A fifth person is still sought, police said.