4th suspect in violent carjacking of Uber Eats driver arraigned, bond set at $500K

Tayvion "Riz" Hart, 18, of New Haven, went before Judge Gary White in Stamford Superior Court on charges of robbery, larceny and assault on an elderly person. Hart is also charged with conspiracy to commit those offenses.

Marissa Alter

Mar 23, 2022, 10:35 PM

Updated 930 days ago

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The fourth and final suspect in a violent carjacking that left a 64-year-old Uber Eats driver in the intensive care unit was arraigned in the case Wednesday.
Tayvion "Riz" Hart, 18, of New Haven, went before Judge Gary White in Stamford Superior Court on charges of robbery, larceny and assault on an elderly person. Hart is also charged with conspiracy to commit those offenses.
Westport police said Hart is the one who stole the victim's car while the woman was picking up a delivery at Golden Pizza on March 5.
One of Hart's alleged accomplices, 18-year-old Giovanni Abreu, identified Hart to police according to Hart's arrest warrant. Abreu told police he, Hart, and two juveniles, were driving around Westport when they saw the victim's car running in a parking lot on Post Road East. He said Hart checked to see if it was unlocked and then climbed in as a woman came running out of the pizza place.
"When she attempted to get back into her car after the defendant had taken the driver's seat, she was dragged along with that car and suffered serious injuries," Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Moran told the court Wednesday afternoon.
The victim has since been released from Norwalk Hospital but will need substantial physical and occupational therapy.
News 12 spoke with her sister a few days after she was hospitalized.
"My sister has brain bleeds that were critical in the beginning. She was hit on her head so she is very confused, and her brain is swollen, and that will probably be the most difficult recuperation," Mary Sheridan shared at the time. She told News 12 her sister also has several fractures and can't walk.
The Westport community rallied around the victim with a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $33,000.
During Hart's arraignment, Moran called Hart a danger to the public. He turned 18 six months ago and already has pending cases in other jurisdictions for larceny, burglary and gun offenses. Moran said he's also accused of not showing up to court in other cases.
"He is alleged to have also cut off his GPS bracelet that he was released on," Moran told the judge. "In light of that, your honor, the state has serious concerns about public safety."
Moran asked for bond to be set at $500,000, which Judge White granted. It can only be posted at the courthouse following a hearing on release conditions.
Police arrested Hart's alleged accomplices right after the carjacking following a chase on I-95. Hart got away but was arrested by New Haven police on unrelated charges on March 11.
Hart and Abreu are both back in court April 6. The other two suspects' cases are being handled in juvenile court in Bridgeport.