Stamford police are investigating a reported armed robbery attempt that happened early Sunday morning and have arrested three suspects
Police responded to West Broad Street at the Schulyer Avenue intersection at about 2:30 a.m.
A 26-year-old Hispanic man told police that several black men and a white man approached him and his two friends and that one of the black males took out a black .22 caliber revolver, held it to his head and demanded money from the group.
Police identified the man as Joseph Baker, 19, as the man with the gun and later took him and two others into police custody.
Robert Anderson, 22, the white male the victim described, told the victim that he didn't like Hispanic people and that "they need to be kicked out of the neighborhood" before telling Baker, "Give me the gun so I can shoot him."
Danny Turkvan Jr., 21, who was with Baker and Anderson, stood there and watched, but did not "actively participate" in the attempted robbery," according to police.
When the victim told police that he and his friends didn't have any money, his attackers walked away in the westbound direction on Schuyler Avenue and he called police to report the incident, police said.
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Police found Baker, Anderson and Turkvan on Schuyler Avenue near Smith Street, who each matched the victim's description of his attackers, and ordered them to the ground at gunpoint. Baker took off running toward Stillwater Avenue on Smith Avenue and an officers chased after him on foot.
One of the officers saw the cylinder of a black revolver and bullets drop on the ground during the pursuit near 70 Stillwater Avenue, according to police. The other officer tackled Baker into the bushes in front of 65 Stillwater Avenue after observing him reach into his pants waistband, police said. Police found a black H&R 922 revolver missing a cylinder underneath him and located a .22 caliber cylinder with three casings inside, as well as four rounds and one bullet scattered nearby, police said.
After the victim positively identified all three men as his attackers, police took them into custody. Investigators photographed the area and seized evidence.
Police charged Baker and Anderson with criminal attempt to commit first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit the crime and interfering with a police officer. Police also charged Baker with possession of a pistol without a permit and criminal use of a firearm and Anderson with intimidation based on bigotry and bias. Turkvan Jr. faces a charge of interfering with a police officer.
