Bridgeport police make arrest in ‘alarming’ machete attack at Seaside Park

Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant
·1 min read
1

A 20-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with what Bridgeport police called an “alarming machete attack” on a man at Seaside Park in May.

Jilmer Valverde of Bridgeport was taken into custody in the morning hours by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Bridgeport Violent Crime Task Force, according to the Bridgeport Police Department. He faces one count of first-degree assault and was held in lieu of a $750,000 bond pending an appearance in court Monday.

Valverde’s arrest comes after Bridgeport police responded to Seaside Park on May 28 at about 8 p.m. on the report of an assault with a machete. Responding officers found a 26-year-old Bridgeport man suffering from what was described as a “serious physical injury to the face,” police said.

The victim was taken to an area hospital and treated.

Investigators discovered the attack occurred along Waldemere Avenue at the “Diamond 10” baseball field in Seaside Park.

“Bridgeport (Police Department) Det. Angel Llanos was the lead investigator,” Capt. Kevin Gilleran said in a statement Monday. “He should be commended for quickly developing a suspect in this case.”