Drunk, Machete-Carrying Driver Among Duo Nabbed In Tolland County Traffic Stop, Police Say

Connecticut State Police said parkgoers in Tolland County called 911 at around 3 p.m. Monday, July 15, about two men seen carrying machetes and stumbling in a wooded area in Columbia, near Recreation Fields on Hennequin Road.

The men then drove off and witnesses provided troopers with a description of their vehicle.

Police spotted them a short time later allegedly driving recklessly on Middletown Road (Route 66) and pulled them over.

During the traffic stop, the men told the trooper that they had been fishing for crawfish in a nearby river and had the machetes to protect themselves against snakes.

The trooper also noted that the driver, Benjamin Deleon-Chach, age 43, of Willimantic, was showing signs of impairment, police said. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test.

Deleon-Chach and his 53-year-old passenger, Fabian Simaj-Tum, of Windham, were arrested on suspicion of breach of peace.

Deleon-Chach was additionally charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to maintain proper lane, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Both men were released on bond and are scheduled to appear at Rockville Superior Court on Wednesday, July 31.

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