Crime
27-year-old Steven Vega killed in Bridgeport shooting
UPDATE: Murder Suspect Wanted in Connection with the Fatal Shooting of Steven Vega.
Suspect Details:
- Name: Nelson Garcia
- Gender: Male
- Ethnicity: Hispanic
- Age: 47
- Date of Birth: August 13, 1977
- Height: 5’2″
- Weight: 150 lbs.
- Hair Color: Black
- Eye Color: Brown
- Last Known Address: 242 Lake Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Garcia is known to frequent the North End and West Side neighborhoods of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Nelson Garcia is considered armed and dangerous. If spotted, do not approach him directly.
- Call 911 immediately with any information regarding his whereabouts.
- After contacting emergency services, please follow up with Detective Elizabeth Santora at 203-581-5291.
The public’s assistance is crucial in apprehending this suspect and ensuring the safety of the community. Do not attempt to engage or apprehend the suspect yourself.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
A tragic shooting on Saturday has claimed the life of a 27-year-old Bridgeport man, marking the city’s first homicide of the year, according to police.
The shooting occurred around 4:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Lake Street, near the intersection of Reservoir Avenue and Polk Street.
Responding officers discovered Steven Vega, suffering from gunshot wounds to his torso and hand.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the altercation began inside a residence at 242 Lake Street and escalated outside, where the shooting took place.
Vega was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning.
Authorities believe the incident was isolated and that Vega and the shooter were acquainted.
Bridgeport Police are urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward. Detective Elizabeth Santora can be reached at 203-581-5291. Alternatively, tips can be submitted anonymously through the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
This incident is currently under active investigation as authorities work to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.