Three held
on charges
after chase
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – Three Connecticut residents were held on high bail yesterday after they were arraigned in Westfield District Court on charges stemming from an improbable incident Wednesday afternoon.
City police responded to a 4:31 p.m. report from a Russellville Road resident who told the dispatcher that three person who had guns and a knife had threatened his life and tried to force him to buy drugs before they took his money.
The caller said that he was in a vehicle and was chasing the suspects who were operating a 1996 Subaru Legacy on both sides of the city’s border with Southampton.
Officer Seth Florek was on patrol in the area and found the vehicle a short time later, which he stopped on North Road near the intersection of Jaeger Drive.
Florek reports that the vehicle was occupied by Jason J. Myslenski, 25, of 90 Prospect Hill, East Windsor, Conn., Elisha Martorelli, 25, of 58 West St., Stafford Springs, Conn., and Evan Ogren, 23, of 30 Monroe St., Hartford, Connecticut.
Florek reports, in court documents to support criminal complaints against the three suspects, that the putative victim, Eduard Kostyushko, of 33 Russellville Road, said that the three persons came to his residence with a television they were offering for sale and asked him to follow their vehicle to another location to examine it.
Kostyushko told Florek that his cousin drove and they followed the suspects to an area off Cabot Road where they stopped and he got into the back seat of their vehicle. He said that Myslenski drove back to Russellville Road with his cousin following. He said he began to sense that something wasn’t right but couldn’t exit the car because the door handle was broken and would not open.
Kostyushko said that Martorelli then threw a knife and a box cutter to Ogren, the only member of the trio he had known previously, who started yelling “Give me your wallet, give me all the money you got.” He told Florek that Ogren pointed both weapons at his neck saying “I’m gonna kill you, I’m going to slice your neck.”
He said Ogren asked if he wanted to die and he heard Martorelli say “cut His face.” He said that a struggle ensued and, when he was eventually forced out of the moving vehicle, his cousin stopped to pick him up.
Kostyushko said that he and his cousin then began to chase the other vehicle on the streets of the area and while doing so he called police.
Several officers arrived to assist Florek and the three suspects were taken into custody.
A passerby approached the officers and gave them a pistol which he said he had found in the roadway at the intersection of North and Southampton Roads.
Police report that the pistol was found to be a BB gun and report that it is not yet clear who had discarded it.
The victim and his cousin were asked to come to the station to make written statements and arrived there about a half an hour later.
The suspects’ car was towed to the police station where, after a warrant was secured on Thursday, it was searched. Detectives report that a kitchen knife and a folding knife were found in the vehicle.
An improperly completed bill of sale was found in the vehicle which was bearing registration plates which had not been issued for it. Detectives report that they have not yet been able to ascertain who owns the car.
Police also found that Martorelli and Myslenski are the subjects of reciprocal abuse prevention orders in Connecticut.
At court on Thursday, the three suspects appeared before Judge Philip Contant for arraignment.
Myslenski, who was arraigned on charges of attempting to commit a crime, violation of an abuse prevention order and a number plate violation to conceal identification, was held in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.
Martorelli, arraigned on charges of attempting to commit a crime and violation of an abuse prevention order, was held in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.
Ogren, arraigned for attempting to commit a crime, was held in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.
All three will return to court on Feb. 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
Carl E. Hartdegen can be reached at [email protected]
