Feud over woman ends in arrest

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- New Haven police arrested a man accused of pulling a handgun on an acquaintance over a feud about a woman.

Officer Matthew Abbate was approached by 19-year-old Tony Russell-Roberts around 10 p.m. on Wednesday at Congress Ave. and Kossuth Street.

Russell-Roberts told Officer Abbate that Tyron "Ron-Ron" Lawrence pulled a colored .22 caliber handgun on him on Washington Ave at 9 p.m. and that he knew Lawrence from an on-going argument about a woman, police said.

Russell-Roberts told the officer that he pleaded with Lawrence not to shoot him when the confrontation got heated, and Lawrence put the gun in his pocket and took off, police said.

About 20 minutes later, Officer Christopher Alvarado radioed in a foot pursuit about a suspect unrelated to the incident in the same area. Coincidentally, Lawrence was stopped by Officer Edrick Agosto regarding the pursuit. Officer Alvarado arrived and told Officer Agosto that Lawrence was not the one he'd been after so Lawrence was released but his information was obtained, police said.

Russell-Roberts identified Lawrence by photograph about an hour and a half later and the recent encounter revealed his whereabouts, police said. Officer Abbate then went to 203 Howard Avenue, where the officers spotted Lawrence.

Lawrence, of New Haven, was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second degree threatening and brandishing a facsimile firearm.

The gun, a BB gun, was located in the drawer of Lawrence's girlfriends' dresser at her home on Daggett Street, police said.