Three suspects arrested in Edwin Road assault

Francisco Ruiz, age 24, was charged with reckless endangerment in the second degree and breach of peace. Photos courtesy of SWPD. - Contributed Photo

Three suspects involved in the Jan. 8 assault of two men at Forced Induction Motorsports on Edwin Road have been arrested, according to South Windsor police. On Wednesday, Feb. 6, investigators served arrest warrants to Luis Ruiz, age 20, of 200 Crown St., in Meriden, on charges of robbery in the first degree, assault in the second degree and larceny in the sixth degree; Francisco Ruiz, age 24, also of 200 Crown St., in Meriden, on charges of reckless endangerment in the second degree and breach of peace; and Jose Ramos, age 40, of 292 Cook Ave., in Meriden, on charges of assault in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, stealing a firearm, unlawful restraint in the first degree, threatening in the second degree, and larceny in the sixth degree.

Luis and Francisco Ruiz were held on $75,000 and $10,000 surety bonds, respectively. Both were presented at Manchester Superior Court on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Ramos was held on a $400,000 surety bond, and was presented at Manchester Superior Court on Thursday, Feb. 7.

The three were the last of four suspects involved in the assault, which put Robert Lareau, 28, of Enfield, owner of Forced Induction Motor Sports, LLC, and employee Ryan Kelleher, 21, of Windsor, in Hartford Hospital with serious injuries. Nathaniel Chambers had been arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 15, and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree and conspiracy to commit assault in the first degree. He was held on a $400,000 surety bond.

The four arrests conclude hundreds of manhours of investigation on the part of South Windsor detectives. “They arrested Nathaniel Chamber, and he wasn't very cooperative, so our investigators had to do a lot of search warrants for cell phone records and basically track down people backwards,” said public information officer Sgt. Scott Custer.

According to Custer, the dispute that resulted in the assault was over money. Chambers had paid the business money to do work on his car which never got done. He was owed a refund of $1,000 or more, which prompted the dispute.

Allegedly, an exhaust pipe that Lareau had fabricated for Chambers was used to beat Lareau, and Kelleher was struck on the head with the butt end of a rifle that Lareau and Kelleher kept at the business for recreation. “They took it, and that's a separate felony in and of itself,” said Custer.

It is apparent from the charges that the violent assault was carried out primarily by Chambers and Ramos.

While Kelleher was conscious enough following the attack to call 911 and was released within days, Lareau was unresponsive upon the arrival of police at the scene and was admitted to intensive care. From there, he would spend nearly a month unconscious or in an induced coma. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, a friend of Lareau announced via the Facebook page “Pray for Bob and Ryan” (www.facebook.com/PrayForBobAndRyan) that he was officially out of his coma and was responding to stimulation on both sides of his body.