Attempted carjacking at Dunkin Donuts drive-thru leads to arrest: PD

EAST HAVEN, CT – A man is accused of attempting to carjack a vehicle at the drive-thru window of Dunkin Donuts at 704 Foxon Road.

On Tuesday at 7:44 p.m., police responded to an attempted carjacking on the thoroughfare. The suspect, later identified as William Rodriguez, 28, of Portsea Street, New Haven, attempted to steal a vehicle from a female driver, police said.

“The incident began when Rodriguez pulled into the parking lot and parked his vehicle directly in front of the victim’s car while she waited at the drive-thru window,” police said in a news release. “He then exited his vehicle, entered the victim’s car through the passenger door and demanded her keys. When the victim refused, Rodriguez began beating her. The victim managed to escape and ran into Dunkin Donuts to get help.”

“A female employee at the thoroughfare witnessed the attack and quickly alerted two male employees,” police added. “The two employees rushed outside where they confronted Rodriguez, who was having difficulty operating the victim’s vehicle. They successfully extricated him from the car and held him to the ground until police arrived.”

Rodriguez was arrested after a brief standoff, police said. While receiving medical attention from an East Haven Fire Department paramedic, Rodriguez bit the paramedic’s hand, police said.

Rodriguez was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he remained under guard until he was taken to police for evaluation, police said.

The vehicle Rodriguez was driving, a 2016 Hyundai Elantra, was reported stolen, according to New Haven police. The New Haven Police Department took the vehicle into custody for further investigation.

William Rodriguez faces multiple charges including:

• Breach of peace in the 2nd degree
• Attack on emergency medical personnel
• Robbery in the 3rd degree
• Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree
• Attack on a pregnant person
• 3rd degree assault
• Interfering with an officer
• 2 counts of theft of a motor vehicle

For those charges, Rogriguez was held on $250,000 bond.

According to police, Rodriguez also had several outstanding warrants totaling $475,000 and two outstanding warrants from CSP Troop A and Troop I.

“The East Haven Police Department commends the quick and courageous actions of Dunkin Donuts employees who helped bring this dangerous situation under control,” police said.

Photo via East Haven Police Department