Police said that a vehicle, occupied by a 90-year-old woman with dementia, was stolen from a parking lot at the Shield Street Post Office.

By Ronni Newton

A Hartford man is in custody on kidnapping, weapons, and other charges after stealing a vehicle from the parking lot of the U.S. Post Office branch at 121 Shield Street in West Hartford.

A 90-year-old woman, the mother of the vehicle owner, who suffers from dementia, was inside the vehicle when it was stolen just after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, West Hartford Police said.

West Hartford Police said they received a 9-1-1 call from a woman at 11:36 a.m. Thursday reporting that her Honda Civic had been taken from the post office parking lot, with her mother still in the vehicle.

The vehicle had been left running, police said.

A West Hartford Police officer located the vehicle, and the suspect initially engaged officers in a chase into Hartford.

The chase ended when, according to Connecticut State Police, the elderly woman was released by the carjacker, unharmed, at a supermarket in Hartford.

The vehicle was located at a home on Heath Street in Hartford based on a cellphone ping, and the suspect, who was still in the vehicle and in possession of a knife, was taken into custody by state police.

The suspect has been identified as Anthony Almedina, 41, of Grand Street in Hartford.

Almedina has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree larceny, weapons in a motor vehicle, second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, engaging in pursuit, interfering with an officer, failure to drive right, failure to stop at a stop sign, and failure to stop at a red light.

Almedina was arraigned Friday in Hartford and remains in custody on $250,000 bond, police said.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.