A 41-year-old Bridgeport man tried to rob a woman as she walked through the Center Street parking lot near Bodega Taco Bar, Darien police said.
He first demanded money from her, and when she refused, he tried to grab her purse, but failed, police said.
Police gave this further account, including accusations not proven in court:
Photo from Darien P.D.
Arrest photo of Joseph Riley, 41, charged with third-degree attempted robbery and two counts of violation of probation.
Police were called at 10 a.m. Officers went to the parking lot and got a description of the man from the victim and two other witnesses, who also corroborated her account.
Police then checked the area and found Joseph Riley, who matched the description. He admitted that he had had an interaction with the woman and it was about money. Police found that there was an active bench warrant for him regarding a violation of probation.
The probation charge is connected to a June 2019 incident for which he was charged with violation of a protective order. Twice since then, he was charged with violation of probation. He’s pleaded guilty to all three charges.
Riley, of Park Avenue in Bridgeport, was arrested charges of violation of probation (for the arrest warrant) and attempted third-degree robbery.
He was held on $50,000 bond but couldn’t pay it, so he spent the rest of Sunday (his 41st birthday), all day Monday and early Tuesday morning, June 1, in jail, then was taken to state Superior Court in Stamford.
His bond was unchanged, and he remains in jail, according to the Connecticut Judicial Branch website, which also gives his arrest date as Saturday, May 29, meaning he would have been in jail for nearly the entire holiday weekend.