Hamden Police have charged 24-year-old Adiel Viana-Ribeiro of Bridgeport in one attempted home break-in on Kimberly Road, and a second on West Woods Road where he allegedly broke into a woman’s bedroom.
“She was awoken by the individual at the foot of her bed, obviously became extremely concerned as to who they were and what they were doing in the home,” said Hamden Police public information officer Det. Sean Dolan. “She began to yell immediately and scream.”
Both incidents happened late Tuesday night.
Police were already on scene for the first incident on Kimberly Road, and they quickly responded to the break-in on West Woods Road where they identified Ribeiro as a suspect, according to police.
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Police say Ribeiro fled the area and led them on a chase along 84 and was arrested at exit 16 near Southbury.
They say evidence connects him to targeting the homes of two female Quinnipiac University students who were previously customers of Ribeiro through rideshare and food delivery app services.
“Honestly it makes my heart beat really fast, because I can’t imagine being in that scenario,” said Molly Phipps, a freshman at QU.
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Students we spoke with say the news is shocking, but also something they keep in the back of their minds.
“You can opt to have (food delivery drivers) just leave it outside which I would say is the safer option, especially with these types of things happening right now,” said Claire Koscielski, a QU junior.
“We hear stories about how you’re not supposed to get in [rideshares] alone, especially as a female,” Phipps added.
Phipps and Eryn Haddad say they keep a close eye on their small group of friends and play it smart when they’re out for the evening.
“With our male friends we always try to see if they can drive us, we always invite them to go with us, and luckily they’re all very protective over all of us,” said Haddad.
In a statement to NBC Connecticut, a Quinnipiac University spokesperson said:
“We appreciate the quick actions of our students who immediately called public safety when they heard a noise outside their home; our officers responded immediately and coordinated with Hamden Police and Connecticut State Police, who led an investigation and shortly after apprehended the suspect.”
These off-campus students say they also appreciate the efforts of police.
“We don’t have public safety at our dorm so for us, we just have to make sure our cars are locked and kind of be more attentive to our surroundings,” said Kamilla Neela, a senior at QU. “Even during the day we see officers driving around so that makes us feel more safe.”
Ribeiro is charged with Burglary 1st Degree, Criminal Attempt to Commit Burglary 1st Degree, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Larceny 6th Degree, Engaging Police in Pursuit and Reckless Driving, police said.
Police are investigating this incident and looking to see if there are any others that may be related.
