Person Of Interest In New London Home Invasion Arrested In Middletown

By Ronald DeRosa

Middletown police arrested an Oakdale woman on serious drug charges after they said they discovered 5.6 grams of heroin in her purse. But the circumstances that led police to arrest 27-year-old Deahanna Nobleza are considerably more severe.

According to a police report, Middletown officers got a call from the New London Police Department on Oct. 7 following a report of a serious home invasion, robbery and assault that took place in that city the previous night. New London police said a victim had been bound during the home invasion and sustained serious injuries, including a fractured back and multiple lacerations after he was cut with a knife, the arrest report said.

During the course of the investigation, New London police had come to believe Nobleza was a person of interest in the case. Investigators then learned she had rented a 2013 Toyota Corolla from an Enterprise Rent-A-Car in New London with an unidentified person from Middletown who they also said is a "person of interest" in the New London robbery.

Police then said the Corolla was slated to be returned to a Middletown Enterprise facility around 5 p.m. on Oct. 7. New London police had tracked Nobleza's cell phone and it showed she was en route to Middletown.

Nobleza and the other person of interest arrived at the Middletown Enterprise around 1:35 p.m. and police responded and detained them. During the investigation police seized the 5.6 grams of heroin from Nobleza's purse, which police said could roughly convert into 280-420 bags of heroin.

Police also seized a total of $767 from the Middletown person of interest's wallet, which Nobleza later claimed was hers. She told police the heroin was for personal use, however the officers said the amount far outweighed that of a normal heroin user and was indicative that she was directly involved in the sale of the drug, the police report stated. 

The cash seized was also determined to be proceeds from the drug sales, police said.

Nobleza was charged with possession of heroin and a possession of heroin with intent to sell. She was held on a $75,000 surety bond and was due in Middlesex Superior Court on Oct. 8.

Police did not state what happened with the Middletown person of interest mentioned in the report, however it appears the investigation is ongoing. It's also unclear the extent of Nobleza's involvement in the New London investigation.