A felon barred from having guns was arrested last week after police allege they linked him to a stolen gun that was recovered by authorities in Meriden during an investigation into an incident at a park.
Osvaldo Rivera, 39, was charged Friday with criminal possession of a firearm, theft of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit, according to Lt. Darrin McKay of the Meriden Police Department.
McKay said the charges stem from an investigation that began when police were dispatched to Hubbard Park at 999 W. Main St. on April 14 just before 7 p.m. on the report of an altercation involving someone who had a gun. Those involved in the confrontation left the park before officers arrived, leading to two traffic stops targeting individuals believed to be involved, according to McKay.
During one of the stops, police found a .357 magnum revolver in the trunk area of the vehicle, McKay said. Investigators later learned that the gun had been reported stolen in Largo, Florida.
McKay said investigators were able to link Rivera to the firearm as authorities tried to determine who was in possession of it during the incident at the park. They obtained a warrant for his arrest last month. McKay noted that Rivera is a convicted felon and therefore barred from having guns.
Following his arrest, Rivera was held on $75,000 bond pending an arraignment later in the day in Meriden Superior Court. A judge reduced his bail to $25,000, which he did not immediately post, according to court records reviewed Monday.
Rivera has not entered a plea to the charges, records show. He is due back in court on Oct. 15.
