Three Charged with Home Invasion, Kidnapping at Squire Village Apartments

Officers of the Manchester Police Department responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the Squire Village apartment complex off Spencer Street Wednesday morning, where they arrested three men and charged them with a litany of offenses, including kidnapping, home invasion and first-degree burglary.

According to police, a neighbor called at approximately 8:49 a.m. to report a robbery in progress, which the neighbor was able to observe through a hole the robbers punctured in the wall. Police arrived and found one of the three suspects trying to escape through a rear door, but the suspect re-entered the building when police arrived.

The police established a perimeter around the building, and detained the three suspects in a hallway directly outside of the apartment without incident.

Upon further investigation, police said the three suspects broke into the apartment while three juveniles were sleeping inside. The suspects then moved the three children into a separate room, and proceeded to break holes in the apartment’s walls and try to open a safe. The neighbor who reported the robbery was able to observe the suspects through a small hole they punctured in the wall between the two apartments, according to police.

Police said none of the children suffered serious injuries, although one reported being struck on the head by a suspect and was transported to a local hospital for observation. The children were between the ages of 11 and 14. 

The three suspects were identified as Joel Collazo, 24, of New Britain, Orlayn Marquez, 28, of Hartford, and Raul Rivera, 22, of Hartford.

All three suspects are facing charges of first-degree burglary, home invasion, kidnapping, third-degree assault, risk of injury to a minor, first-degree criminal mischief, breach of peace and six-degree larceny.

All three suspects are being held on a $1 million bond, and unless they post bail are scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on the charges Thursday morning.

Lt. Christopher Davis said that when police interviewed the mother of the three children, who was not present at the time of the home invasion, she told them that her estranged husband used to sell drugs from the home.