TYTHRONE FORD and TREIZY LOPEZ, Restaurant Robbery, Connecticut 2015
A brazen attempt to rob a New Haven restaurant ended in gunfire, leaving a female employee shot in the stomach. TYTHRONE FORD, 26, of Bridgeport, and TREIZY LOPEZ, 23, of New Haven, were charged with the attempted robbery and related firearm offenses stemming from the April 11, 2015, incident at the Smokin' Wings restaurant.
According to the indictment, Ford and Lopez entered the restaurant on Congress Avenue in New Haven, demanding money at gunpoint. Lopez allegedly discharged a firearm, striking a female employee in the stomach.
The indictment charges Ford and Lopez with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Lopez is also charged with carrying, using, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Ford is charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Ford was arrested yesterday and is detained. Lopez, who is currently incarcerated in state custody after being convicted of offenses related to a violent robbery in Bridgeport in April 2015, is also facing charges.
U.S. Attorney John H. Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
The Smokin' Wings restaurant shooting was a 'cold case' that was reopened by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. The investigation was a collaborative effort to bring justice to the victim and her family.
TYTHRONE FORD and TREIZY LOPEZ's current status is as follows: Ford is detained, and Lopez is currently incarcerated in state custody.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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