Going Bananas! The Unexpected Culprit in the Capture of a Connecticut Robber

Last week a 57-year old New Britain man was sentenced to federal prison for his role in a string of robberies around the State of Connecticut.

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According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut: Gilberto Deleon was sentenced to 34 month in Federal prison on Thursday (12/14/23). Court documents reveal that Deleon robbed the following Connecticut retail locations in 2022:

February 27 – Scott’s Village Mobil Gas Station, 843 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
March 2 – Mystic Mobil Gas Station, 66 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic
March 3 – Shell Gas Station, 168 Bridge Street, East Windsor
March 3 – Food Bag, 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, Southington
March 5 – Valero Gas Station, 1 Main Street, Ellington
March 5 – Sunoco Gas Station, 446 Bloomfield Avenue, Windsor
March 8 – Smoker’s Discount World, 636 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield
March 16 – Cove Smoke Market, located at 841 Cove Road, Stamford

Deleon has been in custody since his arrest on April 19th of 2022 and on October 18th, 2022 he "plead guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery."

The court papers say that Deleon did not act alone in all of the robberies:

"Steven Galarza, of Seymour, and Efrain Deleon, of New Britain, also participated in these robberies and pleaded guilty to related charges. On July 20, 2023, Galarza, who also committed three additional robberies in Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. Efrain Deleon awaits sentencing."

The details of the case are not very exciting until you learn how Deleon was caught, it was a banana that brought him down. The U.S. Attorney press release says:

"During the robbery in Farmington on February 27, 2022, Deleon, who was serving as a lookout, took a banana off of the counter. When he exited the store, surveillance cameras recorded Deleon peeling and eating the banana, and then disposing the banana peel in a receptacle near the gas pumps. Investigators seized the banana peel and submitted it laboratory testing, which returned a match for Deleon’s DNA."

Taken down by produce? Who would have thunk it? Hey DJ, Hit the music!

ROAST: 

• I wonder if he peeled out during the getaway?
• Just think, if the bananas were still green, we may not be having this discussion.
• He'll never get to enjoy the fruits of his labor now.
• You think they will call him Johnny Bananas?

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According to Healthline, bananas are an excellent source of fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients. Here is the breakdown:

The nutrition facts for 1 medium-sized banana (100 grams) are (1Trusted Source):

• Calories: 89
• Water: 75%
• Protein: 1.1 grams
• Carbs: 22.8 grams
• Sugar: 12.2 grams
• Fiber: 2.6 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams