help

collapse

Press one of the expand buttons to see the full text of an article. Later press collapse to revert to the original form. The buttons below expand or collapse all articles.

expand

collapse

Armed Robbery

May 26, 2007 permalink

Here is yet another sideline for those heroic social workers who save your children — armed robbery. Trent Gunn is accused of driving the getaway car for armed robbers, formerly wards of the State of Connecticut. In firing him, the state seemed most concerned not about the robbery, but about socializing with clients. Wow!

expand

collapse

Worker Tied To Robbery Fired

DCF Says Employee Violated Policies

By COLIN POITRAS, Courant Staff Writer, May 19 2007

A former Department of Children and Families employee of the year has been fired in connection with allegations he participated in a Hartford armed robbery with two youths in state care.

Trent Gunn has been fired effective May 25, DCF officials said Friday.

Gunn, 35, a children's services worker at a state-run group home for abused and neglected youths, has been on paid leave since Feb. 9. Gunn had been chosen at the Connecticut Children's Place in East Hartford as that facility's 2005 employee of the year.

Gunn, who was arrested Jan. 29, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree robbery with a dangerous instrument and first-degree burglary with a firearm. He is free on $100,000 bail pending an appearance in Superior Court in Hartford on May 25.

Hartford police have accused Gunn of taking part in an armed robbery on New Park Avenue on Jan. 28. According to court records, a New Britain man walking along New Park Avenue about 11 p.m. reported he had been robbed by two males who threatened him with a knife and a gun. The thieves made off with $85 and the man's watch, police said.

A car being driven by Gunn that matched the description provided by the robbery victim was stopped about 3 a.m. in West Hartford, records show. The robbery victim identified Gunn and two youths in the car as the people who robbed him, police said. Police found a knife in the car but no gun.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the two youths in the car were former teenage clients of Connecticut Children's Place.

In Gunn's termination letter, DCF officials cited Gunn for violating department policy regarding personal relationships with clients in state care. Gunn was also cited for neglect of duty, deliberate violation of state regulations and engaging in activity detrimental to the agency or state's best interest.

Gunn has a right to appeal his dismissal to the state Office of Labor Relations. Gunn, who lives in Bristol and who was making about $51,200 annually at DCF, could not be reached for comment.

Contact Colin Poitras at cpoitras@courant.com.

Source: Hartford Courant

sequential