The Holyoke Police Department has successfully taken two suspects into custody following a home invasion investigation that turned violent. According to the Holyoke Police Department social media post, on October 14, officers responded to a reported gun incident on Dwight Street, where they found an individual suffering from head injuries inflicted by a firearm.
Under the guidance of Police Chief Brian Keenan, an investigative team comprising Sergeant Dustin Summers and Detectives John Wagner, Ashley Feliciano, and William Lebrun began to immediately look into the case. They managed to quickly utilize video surveillance from the area to identify not just the assailant, but also an accomplice who appeared to be jointly involved in the invasion. One of the suspects, Jonathan Vergara, already on probation and with an active warrant, was located and apprehended the following day on Suffolk Street.
His arrest was further compounded when detectives charged Vergara with additional counts related to the home invasion incident as he was brought to the Holyoke Police Department. The second suspect, Desmond Wheeler, believed to be the individual who forcibly entered the apartment and allegedly stole heroin, was not immediately captured.
However, a break in the case happened on October 21 when, acting upon information received from the Sunderland Police, Holyoke detectives were able to finally locate and to arrest Wheeler near Amherst Road. After a courtesy booking in Sunderland, he was brought back to the Holyoke Police Department. Wheeler, currently homeless and 29 years old, is facing a series of charges including home invasion and assault & battery with a dangerous weapon. Vergara, aged 28 from Springfield, faces similar charges under the notion of joint venture along with his earlier arrest warrant.
