(Hartford, CT) - Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney, today announced that on February 24, 2025, the Honorable David P. Gold sentenced Jhuge Arnold, age 42, of Hartford, to 18 1/2 years in prison for stealing a motor vehicle and striking the vehicle’s owner with the car while fleeing the scene.
Arnold pleaded guilty in Hartford Superior Court on December 19, 2024 to Assault in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-59(a)(3), Robbery in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-134(A)(1) and Evading Responsibility, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 14-224(b)(1).
On August 31, 2020, at approximately 4:10 a.m., Hartford Police officers responded to the Shell gas station, at 335 Capitol Avenue, on a complaint of a stolen motor vehicle that struck a pedestrian. The owner of the vehicle entered the gas station and left her car unlocked in the parking area. Arnold entered the woman’s vehicle and attempted to drive away from the gas station. When the owner of the vehicle tried to stop him, the defendant put the car in reverse and struck the owner, knocking her to the ground. Arnold then proceeded to run over the victim with the car and drove away. Gas station video surveillance captured the incident.
Officers were able to identify Arnold using a shoplifting complaint about him from the same gas station three days prior. Video from body-worn cameras worn by officers who responded to the complaint showed that Arnold was wearing the same clothes he wore during the August 31, 2020 incident. Police also identified Arnold as a suspect in the hit-and-run when he was arrested wearing the same clothes during the evening of August 31, 2020, for stealing a different car.
The victim sustained a traumatic brain injury in the assault and now uses a wheelchair because she is no longer able to walk.
The case was prosecuted through the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office and handled by Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Terence D. Mariani, Jr. and Elena Palermo of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of Chief State’s Attorney.