HOLYOKE — A judge held two city men without bail Tuesday after they were arrested and charged with breaking into a home on Vernon Street and robbing its residents at gunpoint Monday night while dressed as police officers.
Jose Santana, 29, and Jahmal Brangan, 47, pleaded not guilty in Holyoke District Court to charges including home invasion and armed robbery. Judge William P. Hadley held both men without bail pending dangerousness hearings that are set for Friday, according to the court clerk’s office.
Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert said dispatch received a call from an open phone line around 9 p.m. on Monday. While police were responding to 47 Vernon St., Albert said, the dispatcher could hear “one hell of a disturbance” over the phone line as well as what sounded like people shuffling down a hallway.
Two out-of-breath suspects ran right into the first responding officers and were stopped, according to Albert. The suspects, identified as Santana and Brangan, were allegedly dressed as police officers, Albert said.
Albert said police believe that Santana and Brangan had forced entry into a home and robbed the residents inside at gunpoint, stealing four pounds of marijuana and cellphones.
The two suspects tried to dump everything in the hallway as they ran away, Albert said. He said police found an Airsoft pellet gun with no orange tip that looked remarkably similar to a real firearm.
Albert also said one of the residents was the victim of assault and battery, but did not give any further details.
In addition to home invasion, impersonating a police officer and two counts of armed and masked robbery, the Holyoke District Court clerk’s office said Santana and Brangan were each charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Police are still investigating the incident, Albert said.
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.