Man charged with targeting grandmother for theft, abuse

A 31-year-old West Haven man faces a series of charges after police said he emptied his 82-year-old Fairfield grandmother's bank account, stole her car and assaulted her.

Andrew M. Hernandez was picked up by West Haven police on the Fairfield warrants Monday night after they spotted the grandmother's stolen 2002 Infiniti in his driveway. He was charged with third-degree larceny, breach of peace, assault on a victim over 60 and threatening. His bond totals $50,000 and he was scheduled to have appeared Tuesday in Bridgeport Superior Court.

Police were initially contacted by a program coordinator at People's United Bank on April 16 who requested a welfare check on the elderly resident. The bank reported that more than $20,000 appeared to have been withdrawn from the woman's accounts by her grandson. The bank would call the victim to make sure was aware of the transactions and she said she was. However, bank employees said there were a few occasions when Hernandez brought his grandmother with him to the bank, and would be verbally abusive toward her. During one visit to the bank branch at Super Stop & Shop, Hernandez yelled at his grandmother as they approached the doors and pushed a shopping cart into her, injuring her.

When first contacted by police, the grandmother denied that there was anything wrong and said she was fully aware of what Hernandez was doing.

But on May 9, the grandmother called police to report that she believed Hernandez had tried to break into her High Street home, and that he took her car May 4 without her permission and had not returned it.

The woman also admitted that the incident at the grocery store had occurred, and added that Hernandez left her behind at the store, forcing her to walk to a friend's house.

The grandmother said he had become abusive and she feared for her safety.

During the investigation, police detectives said they determined Hernandez had been hiding his grandmother's bank statements and had overdrawn the account by forging checks.