Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Two Men Charged in Falling Incident

A Stratford man fell from the fourth-story of an apartment building. Police say it was no accident.

Two men have been charged in connection with an incident in which a Stratford man landed on pavement after falling 40 feet from the top floor of a four-story apartment buidling on Pond Street Wednesday morning.

Police are now saying Thursday night that the incident, which left 24-year-old Salomon Martinez hospitalized in critical condition, was no accident, but police don't have many details to share at this point.

"We are still trying to figure out exactly how he went out the window," said Lt. Bryan Cammarata, Naugatuck Police spokesman. "Unfortunately, the suspects are not being very cooperative.

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"Ultimately, what it's going to come down to is the only possible way this guy went out the window is because of a scuffle in the apartment. He was either pushed out or he jumped out because he was trying to escape these guys. At no time did they try to help this guy."

Police arrested Matthew Chandler and Kyle Gonzalez, both 20, of Naugatuck, with first-degree assault and conspiracy at first-degree assault.

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They were expected to be arraigned tomorrow (Friday) at Waterbury Superior Court. Police did not release their bond arrangements, and they were believed to be held while they await their arraignment.

The incident that led to their arrests started at 2:27 a.m. on Wednesday, when police responded to a report of a fall victim. When police arrived to the multi-family house, they found Martinez laying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood; he wasn't moving. Police said he had serious head and body injuries.

Martinez was reportedly on life support at Waterbury Hospital, where he was still listed in critical condition as of Thursday.

If his condition worsens, Chandler and Gonzalez would face harsher charges, police said.

Editor's Note: Police originally said they were charged with more crimes, but those were considered and not actually charged, according to Naugatuck Police Lt. Bryan Cammarata. The above charges are now correct.


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