NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) -
Three women in New Haven were arrested Sunday and charged with robbery and larceny.
Just before 1:30 a.m., police were called to Clinton Avenue after receiving a call from a man who said people just stole his car.
He told police he parked in front of a friend's home and when he returned to the vehicle, a black man approached him from behind and held a knife to his throat demanding he turn over the keys.
He complied and the man, who along with three women got into the vehicle and drove off towards Chatham Street.
The car was found empty and parked a short time later at in front of 286 Exchange St., and the owner, who was the victim's girlfriend, confirmed it was her car and told police it appeared as thought the car had been damaged.
While police were gathering information about what happened and waiting for a tow truck, two women walked out of the home on Exchange Street.
Police said they asked the two women if they knew any information about the incident. They said no and continued to walk in the direction of Poplar Street.
A few minutes later, police said, the description of the suspects were broadcast and the two women who were walking away fit that description.
The women, who have been identified as Jamira Myers, of New Haven, and Dershaya Hargrove, of New Haven, were located by police on Poplar Street near Grand Avenue.
Police also went into the first-floor apartment at 286 Exchange St. and found another woman, identified as Tonya Hall, of West Haven, hiding in the first-floor bathroom.
The owner of the home said she received a call saying police were at the home and told them that her daughter lived on the second floor, and the first floor was unoccupied.
Hall claimed that the victim had solicited her as a prostitute and had driven her to Exchange Street, himself.
But that story didn't jive with what Meyers and Hargrove told police.
Police said they told them Hall picked them up on Chatham Street where Meyers said the car broke down.
Meyers told police they then went to Exchange Street with a plan to smoke crack. There, they said they met a bald, black man who was inside the first-floor apartment.
That was before police showed up.
Meyers then told police that the man saw the officers arrive and jumped out the rear window and they walked outside and left.
Hall, Meyers and Hargrove were all arrested and charged with robbery, larceny and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes.
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