Cops Close In On Murder, Arson Suspects

by Staff | Jun 15, 2011 8:04 am

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Posted to: Legal Writes

Police have suspects in two cases that tore at New Haven’s communal heart this spring: the shooting death of popular bike repairman and “straight edge” vegan punk rocker Mitchell Dubey and a Fair Haven arson that claimed the lives of 42-year-old Wanda Roberson; her son Quayshawn, 8; and Jaquita Roberson, a 21-year-old cousin. A 25-year-old alleged crack dealer named Hector “Boom Boom” Natal confessed on tape to setting the March 9 fire at a two-family house on Wolcott Street, U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Tom Carson said Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday the FBI arrested Natal on unrelated crack-dealing charges. (Click here to read an account by the Register’s William Kaempffer.) The FBI has been investigating the arson case along with the city. Meanwhile, New Haven police have identified a “strong suspect” in Dubey’s March 24 shooting death, according to Assistant Police Chief John Velleca. He said police, who are working the case hard, have not yet detained the man. The suspect is in his early 20s and lives in Newhallville, Velleca said. “He’s a guy who robs people.” Whoever killed Dubey arrived at his Bassett Street home at around 10 p.m. March 24 to commit a robbery. Dubey answered the door. The gunman had his shirt over his face and was wearing a hoodie. He came inside the living room. He ordered Dubey and his housemates to sit on a couch. He also demanded, “Empty your pockets,” Velleca said. At that point Dubey pleaded with him, “Dude, just put down the gun.” The man then fired a shot into Dubey’s chest; the bullet went through his body, out his back, and onto the couch. Dubey later died at the hospital. He was 23. His death touched a nerve among fellow musicians, cyclists, and others across the country, many of whom converged on Pitkin Plaza for a memorial ceremony or held tribute concert fundraisers for the family at Toad’s and in other cities. The gunman immediately fled.

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posted by: anon on June 14, 2011 5:42pm Good work NHPD. But if “there’s a guy who robs people”, why is that guy out on the street? Robbers should be locked up for a minimum of 20 years without parole, given the economic and cultural damage that even a single robbery can cause to a neighborhood. If our police officers actually still lived in our neighborhoods (even just a few years ago, they did, but nowadays 90% do not), this would not be tolerated. Whether or not officers live within a given neighborhood is the greatest predictor of whether crimes occur there. Given the fact that some of our neighborhoods are failing, City Hall needs to immediately reinstate enormous residency incentives for police officers and teachers, and pay for them by docking pay and benefits for everyone else. The fact that we are raising taxes on poor families in order to pay for a police force that lives entirely in the suburbs, is a sign of a very sick place. The simple fact is that other cities do not tolerate this system, and we can’t either.

posted by: anonymous on June 14, 2011 5:43pm that is nice and all… but isn’t it a little suspicious that two people would be left to testify as witnesses? maybe he was a target for whatever reason… and who would ring a doorbell or knock on a door to rob someone? especially after that same spot was robbed two weeks before the shooting! i can’t ignore reality, sorry.

posted by: Beaver Hill Tom on June 14, 2011 6:43pm Let’s hope they can get some convictions ...

posted by: Question on June 14, 2011 7:56pm Asst Chief Velleca said the strong suspect is a “guy that robs people”. LOL

How many of those do we have in New Haven. On my street alone?

Lets’ narrow it down chief.

posted by: Jessica Johnson on June 15, 2011 11:39am I am SO glad to hear an update on the Dubey story. Go go, NHPD, go. Get that horrible person off the street.

posted by: genesimmons on June 15, 2011 12:21pm Although I am ecstatic at the prospect of closing these two high profile cases, here is my dilemma with the American justice system and the reason why crime in our city and country is so out of control. Lets start with the arsonist, his trial will take years to take place, millions in taxpayers money and when he is finally convicted he will not get the death penalty, he will probably be out of our over-crowded jails in 8 years and he will revert to killing and selling crack again. In case # 2, the trial will take years, he will not get the death penalty and will be out after a few years…..get the picture. It takes too long to bring these people to justice and the punishment does not fit the crime, thus there is no deterrent for other criminals. DEATH PENALTY, say it with me say it proud….bring back the electric chair, or public hangings or whatever form of torture you prefer…..until we bring back the death penalty for all homicides nothing will change!

posted by: Anthony on June 15, 2011 12:24pm Thank you for the continued coverage.

posted by: Chelsea on June 15, 2011 5:06pm Thank you NHI for continuing the reports on this, its nice to know they’re still looking. And as for the suspicion about those who were “left to testify” let me assure you, there would be no reason on this Earth Mitch would be a target. He was as clean as could be and didn’t mess around in any business that would lead to any activity like this.

I also assure you that the people who weren’t physically harmed never brought any of this upon Mitch. I can guarantee you that. They were considered ‘different’ in their immediate community, making their house a target for robbery. If you want to talk in reality terms, that’s a harsh one I wish weren’t true, but sadly is. People will target those who are different than them. Go, NHPD and the New Haven community. This is no just a matter of finding one person (which is still very important) but also working together as a community of peple who care about one another, even in the slightest of ways.

My sympathy goes out to the family and friends of the mother, son and cousin who passed.