A White River Junction man arrested by police from Hartford, Vt. is believed to be the gunman responsible for the March 12 robbery of a female pedestrian on West Wheelock Street.
Gerion Silva, 22, was arrested Thursday by Hartford Police working in conjunction with Hanover Police.
At a hearing last Friday in Windsor County District Court, Silva refused to waive his rights and accept extradition to the state of New Hampshire to answer to the charge.
Hanover Police Detective-Sergeant Frank Moran said police now have up to 30 days to apply for a governor's warrant -- which must be signed by the governors of both New Hampshire and Vermont -- in order to extradite Silva to New Hampshire to stand trial.
Moran said applying for a governor's warrant is not an easy process.
"You have to jump through a number of hoops and there are a number of persons who have to be involved in the process, so it is time consuming," he said.
Hanover Police believe Silva is the man who pointed a handgun at a woman's abdomen, demanded money and then fled with a small amount of cash in the early morning hours of March 12, Moran said.
If extradited, Silva will be charged with robbery, a Class A felony which could carry a $4,000 fine and a sentence of seven to 15 years in jail, Moran said.
The investigation began with Hanover Police exploring a number of different leads, according to Moran.
"When it first happens, you investigate all possibilities," Moran said. "You key in on possible suspects and request assistance from other law enforcement agencies."
Recent information on Silva -- which Moran declined to reveal -- led Hanover Police to focus on him out of a number of possible suspects, Moran said.
"We investigated and corroborated the information and determined that we believe he committed this robbery," he said.
Acting on an arrest warrant issued last Thursday by Justice John Boswell of the Lebanon District Court, Detective James Steinmetz and Moran located Silva at his White River Junction home and followed him, according to a press release.
Since New Hampshire police do not have arrest powers in the State of Vermont, the detectives telephoned the Hartford Police Department, who then arrested Silva, according to the press release.
Silva is currently incarcerated at the Woodstock Regional Correctional Facility. He will remain there until he can post the $150,000 bail set by Windsor County District Court Justice Theresa DiMauro, according to the Valley News.
