Fairfield, CT — On Friday, May 2, 2025, at approximately 10:55 p.m., Fairfield Police responded to a large group of vehicles operating recklessly in the parking lot of Stop & Shop at 760 Villa Avenue. The scene resembled a street takeover, with drivers performing dangerous stunts such as donuts, burnouts, and fishtails, effectively taking over the private lot and creating a hazardous environment. There were also moments prior to police arrival where the parking lot asphalt was set on fire. This behavior endangered not only the vehicle operators but also the numerous participants who were in the parking lot, mere feet away from the vehicles, taking videos.
Upon police entry into the parking lot, the crowd and vehicles began to disperse rapidly in all directions. It is important to note that this phase of interrupting a large vehicle gathering often presents heightened risk, as fleeing drivers may accelerate dangerously, endangering both the public and law enforcement officers. Recognizing these dangers, officers prioritized public safety and the strategic collection of evidence. This calculated approach allowed for a safer response and laid the groundwork for successful follow-up investigations.
Following this event, the Fairfield Police Department established a task force including some officers who responded to the initial incident. Working with our states attorney’s office, this group utilized the strategically collected evidence from the night of the incident to identify and track down the primary offenders involved.
The Department emphasizes that progressive police tactics were employed throughout this investigation by means dash camera footage, social media monitoring, and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies to gather and corroborate evidence. Thanks to the disciplined and professional conduct of officers during the initial response, sufficient evidence was obtained that directly led to the arrests of David Romero, Wanda Romero, Dilmar Ruano-Barrera, and Christopher McGirl.
The vehicles in the videos circulating on social media were identified, which assisted the Fairfield Police Department in obtaining search and seizure warrants for each of them. This investigation took the Fairfield Police Department to jurisdictions outside of Fairfield, where officers executed search warrants on the drivers’ vehicles. While effecting one such search warrant in East Windsor Connecticut, the mother of one offender interfered with Fairfield officers, resulting in Wanda Romero being charged with tampering with physical evidence and interfering with a police investigation. The seized vehicles include a blue Dodge Charger Daytona registered to David Romero (of East Windsor), a GMC Sierra pickup truck belonging to Christopher McGirl (of Wallingford), and a white Ford Mustang GT owned by Dilmar Ruano-Barrera (of Stamford) are all still in police custody as evidence in the upcoming court proceedings.
The Fairfield Police Department extends its sincere appreciation our State’s Attorney’s Office, The Connecticut State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, as well as the police departments of Stamford, Stratford, Wallingford, and East Windsor, and all officers who contributed their time and effort to ensure a comprehensive and successful investigation. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our community far and wide who assisted in this investigation by sending videos which directly helped aid in our investigation. This case illustrates the importance of coordinated law enforcement efforts, and working closely with our community and law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable.
Incidents like this have been affecting communities across the State of Connecticut. We want to thank our legislative partners for listening to our concerns and working to increase the repercussions to this type of behavior throughout our state.
The following individuals were arrested:
David Romero, 20 of East Windsor was issued a bond of $75,000 and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on 6/13/2025.
- Illegal Racing on Highway
- Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Racing on a Highway
- Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree
- Breach of Peace
- Riot 2nd Degree
- Unlawful Assembly
- Reckless Driving
- Failure to Display Plates
- Operation Causing Unnecessary Noise
- Unsafe Movement of Stopped Vehicle
Wanda Romero, 49 of East Windsor was issued a bond of $25,000 and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on 6/13/2025.
- Tampering with Physical Evidence
- Interfering with Police.
Dilmar Ruano-Barrera, 26 of Stamford was issued a bond of $50,000 and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on 6/13/2025.
- Illegal Racing on Highway
- Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Racing on a Highway
- Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree
- Breach of Peace,
- Riot 2nd Degree
- Unlawful Assembly
- Reckless Driving
- Operating a MV Creating Unnecessary Noise
- Unsafe Movement from a Stopped Position.
Christopher McGirl, 20 of Wallingford was issued a bond of $10,000 and is scheduled to appear at Bridgeport Superior Court on 6/13/2025.
- Illegal Racing on Highway.