East Hartford Man Assaults Police Dog During Arrest

Manchester police had to use considerable force, including a police dog that was repeatedly assaulted, to subdue a 33-year-old East Hartford man Friday who was wanted on a litany of charges, including sexual assault and domestic violence.

Officers responded to a call at 165 High St., late Friday evening that a suspect, Robert Torres II, of 26 Livingston Road, East Hartford, was believed to be hiding in the basement of the residence, police said. Torres was wanted on sexual assault and domestic violence charges stemming from an incident involving his ex-girlfriend. She alleged that Torres broke into her house and sexually assaulted her while she slept and was harassing and threatening her and members of her family.

A police dog was sent into the basement of the residence, police said, and tracked Torres to the adjacent apartment, which was vacant. Police found Torres hiding in the attic of the adjacent apartment. Torres secured the door to the attic with a live electrical wire, which police cut. They then ordered Torres to come down, but he refused, so the police sent the dog, named Dibbs, after him.

According to Manchester Officer Robert Johnson, Torres threw a heavy box that may have contained a computer at the dog's head, but police caught the dog as it was knocked down the stairs and sent it back in after Torres.

Johnson said the dog grasped Torres around the arm, and Torres and the dog tumbled out of the attic. Torres continued to resist arrest once outside the attic, according to police reports, and was struck on the leg several times with a police flashlight and finally tasered and subdued.

According to Torres' ex-girlfriend, Torres checked himself into Hartford Hospital the previous Tuesday, April 3, and told her that he had been attacked and beaten. In her statement to police, Torres' ex-girlfriend said that his face "was all messed up" when he came to her house the next morning and asked to sleep on her couch. Torres' ex-girlfriend alleged that he broke into her house on March 31, while she was sleeping, and had sex with her against her will.

Police said the dog sustained injuries to his right hip and nose, and was taken to Bolton Emergency Vet where it was given anti-inflammatory medication.

Torres was charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, second-degree sexual assault, resisting arrest, assault of a public safety officer, second-degree reckless endangerment, cruelty to animals, second-degree criminal trespass, two counts of criminal mischief, breach of peace and threatening. He is being held on a $500,000 bond at the Hartford correctional institution and is next scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Thursday, May 10.

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