A convicted felon who allegedly had possession of multiple firearms while in the presence of a child was arrested after fleeing police in Essex on Wednesday with the minor in his vehicle.
The incident began unfolding around 9:40 a.m. when officers from the Essex Police Department and the Resident Trooper’s Office were asked to assist with a property retrieval at a local hotel and discovered that the individual involved was a felon who was believed to have firearms on him while with a child, according to Connecticut State Police.
State police said the individual was identified as 35-year-old Robert Tinley of Essex who was questioned by officers when he arrived at the hotel about whether he had any firearms on him. Tinley allegedly admitted that he was in possession of firearms before becoming evasive, according to state police.
Despite being told not to get back in his vehicle, state police allege that Tinley took off from the hotel parking lot very quickly onto Route 153 heading toward Westbrook. According to state police, he had a child with him who he dropped off just prior to the Exit 65 ramp to Interstate 95 South. He allegedly instructed the minor to walk to a relative’s house.
State police said Tinley then entered I-95 South and got off at Exit 63 where he headed north on Route 81 in Clinton. Troopers as well as an officer with the Westbrook Police Department conducted a “high-risk” felony traffic stop before Tinley was arrested, according to state police.
Once he was apprehended Tinley allegedly admitted to having two handguns in a safe that he ditched from the vehicle when he fled on Route 153, according to state police.
Troopers later found the safe, which had broken after being thrown. Two loaded guns were found lying in the open along Route 153 and were seized, state police said.
The child was also safely located and turned over to a family member.
State police said they later found that Tinley was allegedly in possession of more firearms. After obtaining a search and seizure warrant for a storage facility in Old Saybrook, state police said they seized two shotguns, a pellet rifle and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The search was carried out with assistance of the Old Saybrook Police Department.
Tinley faces five counts of criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition or a defense weapon, two counts each of of criminal possession of a pistol or a revolver and carrying pistol without a permit and a single count of reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, illegal possession of a large capacity magazine, risk of injury to a minor, interfering with an officer/resisting and second-degree reckless endangerment.
He was held on a $60,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court on Thursday.
