Three men went before a judge Friday charged with Thursday's armed robbery and home invasion in Fairfield—an incident that police called targeted and isolated.
Kaleem Uthmaan, 25, of Hamden, 21-year-old Naszar Hobby, of New Haven, and 25-year-old Juan Felix, of Monroe, were each arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court on charges of home invasion, first-degree robbery with a deadly weapon, five counts of unlawful restraint and two counts risk of injury to a minor.
Following their court appearances, the police report in the case was made public. According to the document, Fairfield police responded to a home on Candlewood Road around 2:20 a.m. Thursday after an open line 911 call allowed dispatch to decipher that an armed home invasion was in progress.
The report said a 36-year-old man who lives at the home and uses a wheelchair had just returned there with a visitor when they were approached by a group of masked men masks with guns who pushed through the doorway, forced them to the floor and demanded money and jewelry. A woman and two children were also home, per the report.
The resident was able to call 911 and hide the phone in his shirt, allowing police to get there while the suspects were still inside, according to the report, which said when officers arrived, they saw multiple suspects walking around inside the house shining flashlights. Police arrested Uthmaan on scene while three other suspects ran off.
Felix was arrested later that morning after he got an Uber to Hamden but fell asleep in the back seat, the report said.
Hobby also got into an Uber, according to the report, after convincing someone at Bagel King on Black Rock Turnpike to order him one because he'd been robbed of his phone. That person thought Hobby's story was odd, so he reported it to police, who stopped the Uber on Route 8, according to police.
A fourth person was found at a medical office building on Black Rock Turnpike and detained and questioned, per the report, but not charged because "at that time, there was insufficient probable cause to fully link him to the scene." Police said they believe as the investigation continues, further evidence will lead to him facing charges.
As police searched for the four men, the town closed two nearby schools and issued a shelter in place out of an abundance of caution. That was lifted around 9 a.m.
Uthmaan, Hobby and Felix were each held on $3 million bond, which Assistant Public Defender Dennis Salzbrunn argued was too high at their arraignments.
"I believe $3 million is excessive to say the least, Your Honor. Murders in this jurisdiction are often $1 million, $1.5 million. There are no deaths here. There are no injuries at all," Salzbrunn stated.
He also noted that the incident wasn't captured on video. While the report indicated the robbery and home invasion weren't recorded, it said exterior surveillance video of the home revealed, "four subjects on foot, in dark-hooded clothing, holding firearms, who ran toward the wheelchair ramp and the front door."
Salzbrunn pointed to another thing out to the judge during his arguments.
"I think it's important to note that the alleged victims denied the police the opportunity to process the scene for additional evidence. I found that to be noteworthy, Your Honor," Salzbrunn said.
The report indicated police got a search warrant to do so.
Judge William Holden commended the police work in the case, calling it "exemplary." He set bond for Uthmaan and Hobby at $1 million because neither has a criminal history. However, police wrote in the report that they learned from New Haven police that Uthmaan and Felix are suspects in a homicide.
Felix's bond was set at $2 million, and Holden granted the state's request that 30% must be in cash. Felix currently has a pending violation of probation case in connection with a larceny conviction from 2022, according to the bail commissioner, and was out on bond when he picked up this arrest. The bail commissioner also told the judge Felix was also convicted in 2018 of robbery and assault and on Tuesday, had a motor vehicle theft case dropped during a court appearance.
All three suspects return to court March 6. If they're able to post bond, they'll be subject to GPS monitoring.