Second Suspect Charged in Grove Street Car-Jacking Incident

Vernon police on Wednesday made a second arrest related to a January car-jacking incident at a Rockville rooming house.

Detectives went to Rockville Superior Court, where Joseph D. Barry, 27, known on the street as “Pito,” was facing a parole violation charge from a previous local arrest, police said. Barry was in the court lockup when Vernon detectives arrived, according to a news release.

Barry was charged with the following crimes:

• First-degree robbery.

• Second-degree assault.

• Carrying a dangerous weapon.

• Second-degree larceny.

• First-degree criminal trover.

• Conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree.

• Conspiracy to commit second-degree assault.

• Conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny.

In addition to his parole violation case, Barry was being held in lieu of a $1 million bond, police said.

According to a news release, Barry’s arrest stems from a month-long investigation by Vernon Detectives into a car-jacking and robbery incident that took place in the early morning hours of Jan. 11 outside 24 Grove Street, a red tenement just up the hill from the old Amerbelle complex. The building has been described by police as a rooming house with shared bathrooms.

Detectives learned from their investigation that Barry, Ryan Lajoie and Joshua Montanez, who goes by the street name “FourFifth,”  called a female escort and arranged for her to come to the Grove Street address for the purposes of robbing her, according to a news release.

Police said when the woman and a male friend arrived, Barry and Montanez attacked the man, who was driving the car they were in, with an aluminum baseball bat.

They “forcibly” stole the vehicle and some money located inside, police said.

The male victim’s injuries were not serious and the stolen vehicle was recovered by Vernon police later that day and after being found abandoned in Rockville, a news release indicates.

Police said the case against Barry was being built since March 1, when Vernon detectives assisted Hartford detectives and members of the Parole Fugitive Task Force in locating Barry. He was hiding in an apartment in Hartford where he was apprehended and sent to jail, according to a news release.

On March 21, Vernon detectives arrested Ryan Lajoie, an 18-year-old who was living in the red tenement in Rockville, in connection with the car-jacking.

Police said Lajoie was charged with:

• Conspiracy at first-degree robbery.

• Conspiracy at second-degree assault.

• Conspiracy at second-degree larceny.

• Accessory to commit first-degree robbery.

• Accessory to commit second-degree assault.

• Accessory to commit second-degree larceny.

A manhunt is under way for Montanez. Vernon police hold a "valid felony arrest warrant” for Montanez, 25, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, according to a news release.

Montanez is aware he is wanted and is trying to avoid apprehension, police said.

Montanez is wanted by Vernon police for first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, carrying a dangerous weapon, second-degree larceny and "other related charges."

Montanez is being described by police as Hispanic, about 6-feet in height and weighing approximately 180 pounds with a muscular build. Montanez has brown hair, brown eyes and numerous tattoos, including “josh” on his left forearm and “I Trust” in script on his right arm, police said.

Montanez could be hiding in several areas he has ties with - Rockville, Willimantic, Norwich and Hartford, police said.

A picture of Montanez is attached. Police said he should be considered dangerous.

Montanez is wanted by a number of Connecticut police departments in addition to Vernon:

• East Hartford for first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and other related charges.

• Norwich for third-degree larceny by possession, along with additional charges.

• Newington for possession of narcotics and other related offenses.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Montanez can call Vernon detectives at 860-872-9126 or East Hartford detectives at 860-528-4401 or the Norwich and Newington police departments. Callers can remain anonymous.

Jajoie not only lived in the Grove Street tenement, but in the next room over from the one rented by Christopher Krumm when he left Vernon and traveled to Casper, WY, where he killed a woman with a knife, his father with a bow and arrow and then himself, Casper police said. The Vernon connection to the case developed in early December after Vernon police searched the house.