A traffic stop in North Haven on Tuesday, Oct. 20, ended with two men under arrest after officers found that the car had been stolen out of Madison and that a loaded pistol with a defaced serial number and a set of brass knuckles were inside, according to North Haven police.
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Police announced the arrests on Saturday, Oct. 24. State court records reviewed by the Courier on Sunday show both cases were filed by the North Haven Police Department with an arrest date of Oct. 20.
What police say happened
Officers working traffic enforcement stopped the car because its registration plate had been cancelled and was not assigned to that vehicle, police said. When officers checked the vehicle identification number, it came back as a car reported stolen from Madison.
Inside, police said, officers found a loaded pistol whose serial number had been obliterated, along with brass knuckles. Police have not said exactly where in town the stop took place.
Who was charged
Mathew Tolliver, 29, of Southington, faces four charges, according to the state Judicial Branch’s pending-case records: criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon, altering a manufacturer’s serial number and first-offense larceny of a motor vehicle. Court records list three of the charges as felonies; altering a serial number is listed as a misdemeanor. Police spelled his first name Matthew in their announcement; court records list it as Mathew.
Court records show Tolliver’s bond set at $100,000 and list him as not released from custody. Police had said he was held on $200,000 bond when he was first arrested. His case is in Superior Court in New Haven (GA 23), where his next court date is listed as Thursday, Oct. 29.
Erik Holmquist, 29, of Cheshire, was charged with first-offense larceny of a motor vehicle, a felony. Court records show his $20,000 bond was posted and that he was released. His case was sent to Superior Court in Meriden (GA 7), with an arraignment listed for Thursday, Oct. 29.
What happens next
Neither man has entered a plea, according to court records. The next hearings will be in New Haven for Tolliver and in Meriden for Holmquist on Oct. 29.
Police have not released the make or model of the car, and they have not said how or when it was taken from Madison or whether more arrests are expected.
An arrest is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Both men are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
The Courier will update this story if police or the court release more details.
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