A 20-year-old man is facing a long list of charges after police said he was involved in an armed robbery in Middletown that ended in a chase in Windsor Locks on Sunday.
Officers were called to Price Chopper on Washington Street around 10:40 p.m. after getting a report of a stolen vehicle. Dispatchers said that a white 2010 Mercedes Benz was stolen at gunpoint.
Investigators said they determined that 20-year-old Gabriel Nerette entered the driver's seat of the vehicle while it was in the parking lot of Price Chopper. A 14-year-old was sitting in the passenger's seat of the running vehicle while his mother was inside the store.
According to police, Nerette reportedly placed a silver semi-automatic handgun to the juvenile's stomach and ordered him to exit the vehicle. Nerette then drove off in the parking lot.
Before leaving the parking lot, authorities said Nerette fired a gun once towards a vehicle. The round hit and entered the back of the vehicle and the driver immediately reported the incident to police, authorities said.
When Nerette exited the parking lot, he was traveling east on Washington Street. Officers said they put on their lights and siren to try and get him to stop.
Nerette failed to stop and engaged an officer in pursuit, while accelerating and passing other vehicles, police said.
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Authorities said they pursued Nerette from approximately Washington Street and High Street in Middletown to South Main Street and Lawnacre Road in Windsor Locks, where Nerette crashed the vehicle. The front of the vehicle was seriously damaged in the collision.
Officials said Nerette failed to stop for numerous red lights, stop signs and recklessly drove to endanger life while driving approximately 100 miles per hour.
After crashing, Nerette was placed into custody and was transported to Middletown Police Headquarters.
An officer said they found a .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the vehicle and Nerette does not have a pistol permit.
Nerette is facing a list of charges including carjacking, robbery, weapons in a vehicle, criminal possession of a gun, carrying a pistol without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, larceny, criminal trover, risk of injury to a minor, engaging police in a pursuit, reckless driving, interfering with an officer, breach of peace and criminal mischief.
He was held on a $500,000 bond and appeared in court on Monday.
Authorities said Nerette is a convicted felon and was previously convicted of robbery, assault, reckless endangerment and risk of injury.
