Woman armed with knife allegedly chases man in CT Walmart parking lot, gets restrained by witnesses

A woman who allegedly threatened people with a knife in a Connecticut Walmart parking lot is facing multiple charges after an incident in which witnesses helped restrain her and also tried to stop a man who allegedly shoplifted a cart filled with merchandise, state police said.State police said that the woman had already been restrained by witnesses in the parking lot of the store at 647 School St, in Putnam when troopers arrived.State police said the incident started with a man seen allegedly running out of the Walmart “with a grocery cart filled with merchandise,” and a witness chasing the man through the parking lot, towards the Citgo gas station on Route 44.However, as the witness chased the man, that witness saw a second witness park their vehicle in such a manner as to “block the accused’s vehicle,” state police said.The second witness told police he saw the man with a full shopping cart running across the lot and saw that man loading contents of the cart into “an older model Chevrolet Tahoe with a female helping him.”The second witness told state he then parked his car to block the Tahoe in until police arrived. The second witness also reported that he noticed the “Tahoe was running and went to remove the keys to further prevent the pair from fleeing.” However, the female then allegedly “jumped through the passenger compartment and through the driver’s side window of the Tahoe swinging a knife at him and verbally threatening him,” state police said.The second witness ran, while still holding the Tahoe keys, but the woman “chased him around the Citgo gas station building, and he ran towards the back to avoid her,” police said. The second witness told trooper that the women then got in his vehicle and drove around “erratically in the parking lot, nearly striking other bystanders and vehicles.”Police said a third witness stepped in to help “after seeing the female allegedly chasing (the second witness) with a knife. The second and third witnesses then were able to get the woman out of the car and restain her, police said. The woman allegedly bit the third witness and punctured two tires on the second witness’ car, police said.“The knife used by the female was seized as evidence and was determined to have a blade in excess of 6 inches in length,” state police said. The Tahoe was unregistered and uninsured and had an incorrect license plate, and it was seized, state police said.State police also noted that it was determined that the cart full of merchandise allegedly “had in fact been stolen from the Putnam Wal-Mart as the male made no attempt to pay before leaving the store.”Contessa Vayo, 34, of Brooklyn, was arrested and taken to Day Kimball Hospital for an evaluation following the incident, state police said. Vayo was later taken to Troop D and charged with: three counts of first-degree threatening, first-degree larceny, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree criminal mischief, two counts of reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, misuse of license plates, reckless driving, sixth-degree larceny, and possession of a dangerous weapon, state police said.The case remains under investigation as the male party who was with Vayo was not located on scene, state police said.Anyone with information regarding the identity of the male involved in the incident is asked to contact Trooper Zachary Thetreault at Troop D, 860-779-4900 or by email at zachary.thetreault@ct.gov. Reference case number 2400275709.
Originally Published: July 23, 2024 at 9:39 p.m.

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