Cromwell High School Student Appears in Court

A Cromwell High School student charged in an attempted armed robbery and home invasion at the University of Hartford appeared in court on Thursday and he is due back in court next month.

Police said Mayze James, 18, of Hartford, was masked and carrying a gun when he broke into a dorm room on April 28, for marijuana and money.

(DERON FREEMAN / DEFFENSE ATTORNEY)
"I can’t tell you that Mayze is a kid who has no prior criminal history and who is a very very good student and a scholar athlete,"

"I can tell you that Mayze is a kid who has no prior criminal history and who is a very very good student and a scholar athlete," James’ attorney, Deron Freeman, said.

The victim told police James was wearing a mask and carrying a gun when he broke into the dorm room in B Complex April. The victim fended off the suspect, who fled from the scene.

Freeman said his client is now expelled and had future plans as a football player.

"He played three years and was looking forward to a scholarship and at this point all of his aspirations have been derailed," Freeman said.

The victim told police that his 19-year-old roommate sold marijuana and said the intruder was wearing a mask, so he could not identify him, but he had very distinctive footwear, police said -- a pair of Lebron 11 Christmas shoes.

After reviewing surveillance footage, investigators determined that the descriptions of the robber and James matched.

"The evidence is very light that Mr. James is involved at all. I think, in the long run, that

we will prove he is not the person they are looking for," Freeman said. 

James was charging him first-degree robbery and second-degree assault, according to the Hartford Police logs.

James is due back in court on June 9.

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