West Hartford Police arrested two men on Tuesday in connection with robberies that took place on Aug. 24.

By Ronni Newton

A 19-year-old Hartford man and a 20-year-old New London man were both arrested by warrant Tuesday in connection with two robberies involving victims over age 65 that took place on Aug. 24, 2021, Sgt. Christopher Leonard of the West Hartford Police Department’s Detective Division said.

Police said the suspects utilized a tan sedan in both instances, and witnesses were able to provide police with details from the license plate of the vehicle.

The first Aug. 24 robbery took place at Santander Bank at 1040 Boulevard. According to police, a 78-year-old woman was pushed to the ground and had her purse stolen. She sustained injuries during the incident, police said.

Two male suspects fled the scene in a tan sedan, police said.

In the second incident, which police said occurred a short time later, two male suspects in a tan sedan attempted to grab the purse of a 65-year-old woman as they drove by her in the parking lot of Best Buy at 1501 New Britain Ave. in Corbin’s Corner.

The suspects were unable to snatch the purse, but the woman was dragged by the car and sustained injuries.

Connecticut State Police located the suspect vehicle on Aug. 26, police said.

The two suspects confessed to both West Hartford robberies, and were arrested by warrant on Sept. 21 and taken into custody without incident.

Kevin Ortiz-Rivera, 19, of Collins Street in Hartford, has been charged with one count of criminal attempt at second-degree robbery and two counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, as well as one count each of second-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, second-degree assault of an elderly victim, and theft of a payment card.

Ortiz-Rivera is being held on a total of $150,000 in court-set bonds and is due in court on Sept. 22.

The other suspect, Christian Santana-Silva, 20, of Blackhall Street in New London was arrested and charged with one count of criminal attempt at second-degree robbery and two counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, as well as one count each of criminal attempt at second-degree larceny, second-degree assault of an elderly victim, second-degree robbery, second-degree larceny, and criminal liability of the acts of another.

Santana-Silva is also being held on a total of $150,000 in court-set bonds and is due in court on Sept. 22.

According to online court records, Santana-Silva also faces charges filed by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle.

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