A man suspected of firing gunshots into the air outside a Hartford café in August eluded police for more than a month, but patrol officers took him into custody over the weekend.
Police responded to a large fight outside Norma’s Café, at 379 Capitol Avenue, at 1:09 a.m. on Aug. 23, and a witness said a man fired one shot into the air.
Police found a 9 millimeter shell casing and detectives eventually identified Joshua Rodriguez, 24, of Manchester, as a suspect.
On Sept. 8, police obtained a warrant for him and tried to serve it for weeks, but Rodriguez had been able to elude authorities until 1 a.m. on Sunday, when police officers patrolling at Broad Street and Capitol Avenue saw him walking, police said.
Officers brought Rodriguez to the Hartford Police Booking facility, where the warrant was served, as well as two additional warrants for violation of probation, third-degree larceny, reckless driving and operating under suspension. Police said that is from an earlier pursuit in a stolen vehicle.
Rodriguez has been charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, unlawful discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm and first-degree reckless endangerment.
