BRIDGEPORT — A Bridgeport woman was arrested Tuesday for her alleged role in a robbery that resulted in the March 30 shooting deaths of two men at an illegal gambling club on Stratford Avenue.
Shanica Merced, 35, was taken into custody on an active felony warrant during a traffic stop by Bridgeport Police Task Force Officers on the East Side.
She faces charges of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree and Illegal Gambling, according to police.
Merced, accused of helping to run the club, was held on a $250,000 bond.
On the night of the incident, Tayvon Geter, 33, and Richard Davis, 30, both from Bridgeport, were fatally shot during an attempted armed robbery of the gambling club.
One of the patrons, armed and present during the robbery, returned fire, resulting in the death of the two men.
The patron was also shot multiple times but survived.
Merced reportedly sustained a minor injury from a stray bullet while escaping the scene.
In June, Marcus Farmer, 37, was arrested on an illegal gambling warrant for his involvement with the club.
Although inside the club during the shootings, authorities do not believe Farmer participated in the robbery.
He was charged with stealing a firearm from one of the deceased suspects and was additionally charged with Criminal Possession of a Firearm and Tampering with Evidence.
Farmer, who had been a parole obsconder, is now in the custody of the State Department of Corrections.
The investigation revealed a personal relationship between Merced and Farmer, separate from their business partnership in the club.
Another man, Sean Ellam, 38, of Bridgeport, was arrested in May for stealing a gun from the second deceased suspect.
Ellam faces charges including Stealing a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering with Evidence.
The Bridgeport Police Department’s Homicide Unit, aided by the Office of the State’s Attorney, conducted a thorough investigation, which included reviewing extensive surveillance footage.
The video indicated Merced’s complicity, showing her admitting Geter and Davis, the only individuals masked, into the club and meeting with them prior to the robbery.
In the wake of the incident, Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Gamin, Police Chief Roderick Porter Sr., and other city officials held a press conference outside the now-closed club, located at 1542 Stratford Ave., reaffirming that it would not reopen and urging residents to report any illegal gambling operations in their neighborhoods.
