Milford police arrest two fugitives while patrolling near site of recent shootings

Milford Police arrested two fugitives on Friday while patrolling near the site of several local shootings. 

Gunfire has rung out at the Brightway Commons apartment complex three times in less than a month, with one shooting sending two people to the hospital.

Milford Police Department Detective Cpl. Timothy Maloney recently told The News Journal his department would be stepping up surveillance efforts in the area, describing it as an on-and-off hotspot for violent crime. 

While doing a proactive patrol Friday, officers arrested Scott Swain, 30, and Gabriel Colon, 29, according to a press release. 

Swain was wanted out of Kent County Court of Common Pleas for violating probation and failing to pay capias. He was committed to the Department of Corrections in default of $5,140 cash bail. 

Colon was wanted in reference to three probation violations and failure to pay capias.  He was committed to the Department of Corrections in default of $2,703 cash bail. 

Over the last 12 months, police have been called to Brightway more than 200 times for everything from disorderly conduct and domestic disputes to thefts and assaults. 

Brightway has also seen its fair share of violent crime in recent years. In May 2016, a 21-year-old man was critically injured after he was shot in a parking lot at the complex. In August 2015, a man fired multiple rounds into one of the lower-level apartment buildings, but no injuries were reported.

So far this year, Milford police have received seven reports of shots fired, three of which occurred in Brightway, Maloney said. He said six of those seven reports were confirmed to be gunfire.