A 54-year-old Trumbull man faces six charges after a Sept. 30 robbery at a Shelton convenience store. Police allege he threatened a cashier with what appeared to be a handgun; the charges include offenses involving robbery, theft, a controlled substance and a facsimile firearm.
Police said Paulo Dias entered the In & Out Mini Market at 65 Howe Avenue in Shelton on Sept. 30 wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying what appeared to be a gun, according to valley.newhavenindependent.org. Dias allegedly pointed it at the cashier's head and demanded money, the outlet reported, citing police. The clerk handed over cash, and Dias allegedly left the store with it, according to DailyVoice.com.
Seven-Hour Manhunt Ends With Arrest
Police said investigators arrested Dias about seven hours after the robbery. Detectives said they recovered stolen cash, a facsimile firearm and clothing they connected to the incident, according to Valley Independent Sentinel.
Dias was charged Oct. 1 with first-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny, possession of a controlled substance, illegal use of a facsimile firearm, criminal possession of a firearm and first-degree armed threatening. He is being held on a $750,000 bond, according to Valley Independent Sentinel.
A Historical Look at Robbery Reports
For historical context, Shelton had seven reported robberies in 2017, according to Shelton-Derby Patch, which summarized FBI Uniform Crime Report data. That figure provides a single-year benchmark; it does not show how the city's annual robbery counts changed in other years.
Shelton Police Issue a Warning
Shelton police said people who commit crimes in the city and hide behind masks, sunglasses, gloves or hooded sweatshirts will be found and arrested, according to the report. Dias is from Trumbull, Connecticut, and his case stems directly from the Sept. 30 incident at the Howe Avenue market, as first detailed in the valley.newhavenindependent.org report.
