Robbery Suspect Also Implicated In Game Store Heist

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said this week police are seeking a warrant for the arrest of Shane Parsons, 36, formerly of Newtown, in connection with the June 13 robbery at the GameStop electronic game store at Sand Hill Plaza at 228 South Main Street.

There were no injuries in the GameStop incident, in which a lone male, allegedly Parsons, stole an unspecified amount of money from a cashier. Police have said the robber handed the male cashier a note indicating that the robber had a handgun and demanding cash. The cashier gave the man some money and the robber fled the scene. The robber did not display a weapon, according to police.

Police also are seeking an arrest warrant against Parsons in connection with the robbery of Newtown Savings Bank’s main office at 39 Main Street midday on June 17, which was four days after the GameStop incident.

Police said they have drafted arrest warrant applications against Parsons and Carl Valluzzo, 37, whose last known address was in Danbury, in connection with the bank robbery. Parsons allegedly stole money from a teller, and Valluzzo allegedly drove a getaway vehicle, according to police.

There were no injuries in the bank robbery. Police have not disclosed how much money was stolen from the bank.

Chief Kehoe said it is unclear if Valluzzo was involved in the earlier GameStop robbery.

Parsons and Valluzzo are each being held on high bail at the New Haven Correctional Center in part in connection with a robbery of the Webster Bank branch office on Highland Avenue in Waterbury, which occurred on the morning of June 17, before the Newtown Savings Bank robbery took place. Both men were arrested later that day at a Bridgeport motel in connection with the Waterbury bank robbery.

Parsons is being held on $400,000 bail on charges including those stemming from the Waterbury bank robbery, which are first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.

Valluzzo is being held on $400,000 bail on charges including those stemming from the Waterbury bank robbery, which are conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.

In each of the two bank robberies on June 17, Parsons allegedly went into the banks to steal the money and Valluzzo allegedly drove the getaway vehicle.

In Waterbury Superior Court on June 30, Parsons and Valluzzo were each arraigned on additional criminal charges stemming from the robbery of a Naugatuck Savings Bank in Naugatuck on June 15, and also from a house burglary in Middlebury on June 12.

In the Naugatuck bank robbery case, Parsons was arrested on robbery, larceny, and conspiracy charges. In the Middlebury house burglary case, he was arrested on burglary, criminal mischief, attempted larceny, and attempted firearm theft charges.

In those cases, Valluzzo was arrested on criminal conspiracy charges involving robbery, larceny, and burglary.

Parsons currently is being held on 12 charges, and Valluzzo is being held on five charges.

Both men are scheduled to appear again in Waterbury Superior Court on July 23.

Newtown police have said they hold an outstanding warrant against Parsons on multiple house burglary charges.

Police recently solved a string of six residential burglaries that occurred from early March to early May in which the burglars stole items with an overall value of more than $65,000, most of which were pieces of jewelry.