Mass. man arrested in East Haven street takeover case, police say (original) (raw)

East Haven police say Aldo Almonte Vargas, a Massachusetts man, allegedly played a significant role in organizing and coordinating a Nov. 30 street takeover.

Courtesy of the East Haven Police Department

EAST HAVEN — A Massachusetts man has been arrested for organizing a 2025 street takeover in which people surrounded and damaged a responding police cruiser, officials say.

In a release posted Monday on Facebook, the East Haven Police Department said Aldo Almonte Vargas, a 22-year-old from Worcester, was charged with inciting injury to persons or property, inciting to riot and second-degree riot.

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Police said the street takeover took place in the early morning of Nov. 30, 2025 at the ShopRite Plaza on Foxon Road. They said officers responded to reports of numerous vehicles performing burnouts, igniting fireworks and engaging in reckless activity in a crowded parking lot.

Upon arrival, officers encountered hundreds of participants and spectators, police said. As officers attempted to address the situation, individuals surrounded a marked East Haven police cruiser, damaged the vehicle, threw objects at it, and sprayed a fire extinguisher into the vehicle's engine compartment and windshield area, police said.

Police said a months-long investigation conducted by Detective Jonathan Trinh identified Almonte Vargas as someone who played a significant role in organizing and coordinating participants involved in the street takeover. They said social media platforms and online communications were heavily used in organizing and coordinating participants involved in the street takeover.

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Through a variety of investigative resources and close collaboration with regional law enforcement partners, detectives were able to identify Almonte Vargas and establish his role in the event, police said. He turned himself in on Monday and was charged on an active arrest warrant before being released on a $50,000 bond, police said.

Almonte Vargas is scheduled to appear at state Superior Court in New Haven on June 17, police said.

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Officers continue to investigate the street takeover and identify people who were involved, police said, noting additional arrests are expected.

"Over the past several months, investigators have methodically worked through evidence and identified participants involved in this event. That work is far from over," police said. "Several additional arrest warrants have already been approved and we are actively working to serve them. The East Haven Police Department remains committed to pursuing those responsible. Simply put, we are not done yet."

June 8, 2026

Josh LaBella is a breaking news reporter and former reporter for the Fairfield Citizen. He has been with Hearst Connecticut Media Group since 2020. When not working, he can be found playing video games or Dungeons & Dragons, reading, hiking or hanging with friends.