Two people were charged with drug and firearm offenses in Hartford last night after police found a convicted felon wearing body armor and carrying a loaded gun outside his home on Whitmore Street.
According to police, 37-year-old Luis Diaz is the suspect in a recent assault and is on probation for an accessory to manslaughter conviction in a 2000. Police said Diaz has previous narcotics, assault and firearms convictions as well.
Shooting Task Force members reported to 93 Whitmore Street after Diaz was spotted with armor and a gun. Officers found him on the porch and watched Diaz throw a handgun into the bushes when they arrived.
Police said they recovered a loaded .380-caliber pistol from the bushes. Diaz was wearing a ballistic body armor vest and was found with $469 in cash. Next to him on the porch was a backpack containing 60 bags of marijuana and a digital scanner that was monitoring Hartford police transmissions, as well as a plastic cup containing two bags of PCP.
Diaz was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, possession of body armor by a felon, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell, possession with intent to sell within 1500 feet of a school and possession of a hallucinogen.
He was held on $300,000 bond.
Also on the porch was 27-year-old Jimmy Hernandez, who was found in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol and two loaded magazines of ammunition. Hernandez had a pistol permit but was under the influence of PCP, according to police. He was charged with possession of a pistol under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
