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4 CT Men Cling To Sinking Boat For Hour Before Dramatic NY Police Rescue In Long Island Sound
Four Connecticut men spent nearly an hour holding onto the hull of their overturned boat in the Long Island Sound before being rescued by Suffolk County Marine Bureau officers, authorities said.
The 20-foot center console power boat capsized near Stratford Shoal—the middle ground of the Sound— on Sunday, July 13, according to Suffolk County Police.
The men, who were not wearing life jackets, had launched from Stratford, CT, and were found clinging to the partially submerged vessel around 12:07 a.m., police said.
Marine Delta, operated by Officers Jack Hardy and John Falcone, responded to t…
Stratford Teen Blackmailed Multiple Women, Including 14-Year-Old, To Send Him Nudes: Police
A Connecticut teen has been arrested after allegedly blackmailing multiple women — including a 14-year-old — into sending nude photos, police said.
Mikel Reyes, 18, of Stratford, is facing several charges after victims — ages 14, 17, 18, and 20 — came forward last month with similar stories, according to Stratford police.
The victims told police that Reyes contacted them through an anonymous texting app, threatening to post their nude photos online unless they sent him more explicit images.
Investigators say they were able to connect Reyes to all the incidents.
Reyes knew the victims pers…
Woman Accused Of Stealing From Vulnerable Adults At Goshen Facility: Nysp
A Connecticut woman has been arrested in the Hudson Valley for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from two mentally disabled women under her care, police announced.
Fairfield County resident Natalie Taylor, age 37, of Stratford, was taken into custody on Tuesday, June 24, by the New York State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Monroe, Orange County, and charged with multiple felonies, including grand larceny, identity theft, and endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, State Police announced on Tuesday, June 24.
The investigation began on Thursday, April 17, a…
Knife-Wielding Shoplifter Torches Tent, Threatens CVS Workers In Bristol, Police Say
A Connecticut man returned to a CVS store wielding a knife after shoplifting, then allegedly set fire to a tent at a homeless encampment during a second violent outburst, authorities said.
Officers responded to the CVS Pharmacy at 60 Middle St. in Bristol on Tuesday, June 17, around 2:10 p.m. for a report of a disturbance involving a knife, according to a press release from the Bristol Police Department.
Witnesses told officers that the suspect, later identified as Christopher Gomez, 33, of Stratford, had first stolen merchandise from the store. He then returned with a knife, threatened emp…
3 Bridgeport Council Members Among 5 Busted in Absentee Ballot Fraud Probe: State
Five people, including three Bridgeport City Council members and the vice chair of a local Democratic committee, have been arrested in connection with absentee ballot fraud during Bridgeport’s 2023 Democratic mayoral primary, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin announced.
Statewide Prosecution Bureau investigators arrested council members Alfredo Castillo, 53, Jazmarie Melendez, 26, and Maria Pereira, 57, along with longtime political operative Wanda Geter-Pataky, 68, all of Bridgeport, and Margaret Joyce, 45, of Stratford, authorities said Friday, Feb. 21.
The charges follow…
Newtown Mom, School Librarian Erica Alterio Dies Suddenly, 33: 'Her Presence Was Magnetic'
A beloved former teacher, librarian, and cancer survivor who was a devoted mother has died at 33, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. Now, friends are rallying to support her grieving family.
Erica Leigh Alterio, of Newtown, died on Jan. 14 after a brief illness. She would have turned 34 on Feb. 7.
A graduate of Central Connecticut State University and Fairfield University, Erica worked as a librarian at the Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies in Danbury, her obituary said. She also spent several years as a computer teacher at St. Mark School in Stratford.
Dozen…
Stratford Man, 26, Charged With Shooting Into Car With 2 People Inside
A Fairfield County man has been arrested in connection with a late-night shooting that authorities say sparked a weeks-long investigation involving multiple police departments.
Devon Dotson, 26, of Stratford, faces several charges, including criminal attempt at assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, carrying a pistol without a permit, weapon in a motor vehicle, and illegal transfer of a firearm, police said.
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2024, when two people told police a white Hyundai Sonata pulled up near them in the 100 block of Dewey S…
Stratford Woman Killed In New Jersey Crash Remembered For Her Warmth, Generosity
A 40-year-old Connecticut woman who was killed last week in a chain-reaction crash in New Jersey was known for her compassion and care for her loved ones and her remarkable generosity, her family said.
Lauren Kopko, of Stratford, died on Thurs., Jan. 16, when her Honda was involved in a four-car pileup on Route 287 in Mahwah, NJ. She would have celebrated her 41st birthday on Sat., Jan. 25.
The Bridgeport native rose through the ranks at Breyer Horses in Pequannock, NJ, to become project manager, her obituary said. However, it was her personality that truly shone.
"Lauren’s prof…
Beloved Yorktown Native, Former Firefighter Dies At 37, Remembered For Kindness
A beloved Northern Westchester native and former firefighter is being remembered for his kindness, generosity, and lasting impact on those who knew him following his unexpected passing.
Reynaldo “Reycito” Sanchez, Jr., age 37, a resident of Miramar, Florida, and formerly of Yorktown Heights, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Oct. 31, according to his obituary.
Born in the Dominican Republic on Sept. 25, 1987, he moved to Westchester, where he grew up, attended Yorktown High School, and graduated in 2006.
Reynaldo was a past member of the Harry Howard Hook and Ladder Co. of the Po…
CT Man Intentionally Crashed Into His Fiancee At Stratford Shopping Center: Reports
A 34-year-old Connecticut man is accused of intentionally driving into his fiancee in a shopping center parking lot earlier this week and leaving her in critical condition, reports said.
Anthony Assad, of Milford, is charged with first-degree assault, evading responsibility, and reckless driving, NBC Connecticut reported.
Police said Assad sped up as he drove toward the woman in the 150 Barnum Ave. shopping center in Stratford Tuesday morning, Nov. 19, before he crashed into the woman, throwing her onto the Honda's windshield, per the CT Post.
Video shows Assad getti…
Man, 72, Sexually Assaulted North Haven Child: Police
Police in New Haven County arrested a 72-year-old Connecticut man following an extensive investigation, authorities announced Friday, Oct. 25.
Mark Keith Pasquariello, of Stratford in Fairfield County, is charged with two counts of sexual assault in the fourth degree, risk of injury to a minor, and two counts of illegal sexual contact with a minor, North Haven Police said.
Investigators did not release much information on the investigation to protect the identity of the child.
However, they said Pasquariello shared "multiple inappropriate comments and physical contac…
More Than 100+ Cars Takeover Stratford Street For Second Time In Week
Police in Connecticut had to break up another illegal "takeover" of a road after more than 100 cars blocked traffic during the weekend, authorities said.
Police in Fairfield County were called to 200 East Main St. in Stratford just after midnight on Sunday, Sept. 29, to reports of a takeover, authorities said.
When police arrived, many of the cars and pedestrians that gathered to watch scattered, but police were able to nab four of the participants, Stratford Police said.
Police arrested Carlos Sanchez Hernandez, age 20, Mailin Perez, age 19, Rodney Gist, age 25, and Tyle…