Stamford Man Arrested After Allegedly Punching Southington Gas Station Clerk

The Southington Police Department has announced that they have taken a Stamford man into custody and he faces charges after allegedly punching a Southington gas station employee after a dispute earlier this month.

According to the Southington PD, on March 2, 2021, officers were sent to the Fleet Gas at 1611 Meriden-Waterbury Tpke (Rt. 322) in Southington in response to a complaint from a store employee that he had been assaulted by a man, later identified as Matthew Castellano of Henry Street in Stamford.

Police say the Fleet Gas store manager stated that Castellano had come into the station earlier and pre-paid for $25 worth of gas on a credit card. Castellano came back into the store and stated that the pump had stopped pumping at $10. After being issued a store credit for the missing $15 in gas, Castellano took off, only to return a few moments later, angry that the $15 credit hadn't hit his account yet. The store clerk explained to Castellano that it could take up to two days for the credit to show up on the account.

A verbal battle ensued between the two, in which they swore at each other, followed each other out of the store door, and ultimately, according to a witness, culminated with Castellano punching the store clerk in the back of the head/right side of the jaw with a closed fist, and running out of the store.

After an investigation, Castellano turned himself in on March 4, 2021 on an active arrest warrant. Castellano faces 3rd Degree Assault and Breach of Peace charges. He was released on a $1,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on April 9, 2021.