Month: October 2013

10:26pm–#Bridgeport CT–Reports of shots fired from an SUV possibly a Ford Explorer at Iranistan and Maplewood Avenue. No one hit but possibly a couple of vehicles have been hit.  The SUV fled north on Iranistan Avenue. If you live in this area you may want to check your car.

6:35am–#Ansonia CT–Report of a motorcycle and car crash at Water and Main Street.  First responders on the way.

Video Report–Explosives, guns found in Fairfield home–Chemicals, hundreds of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo in Bronson Road house.

Article below written by By Fairfield Sun>

Explosive devices were removed from a Bronson Road residence and detonated by State Police bomb technicians as police investigated a large cache of chemicals and weapons.

The chemicals were discovered during a second visit by police to the house at 1625 Bronson Road on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and resulted in the closing of the residential street and response from federal, state and local authorities.

Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said Wednesday, Oct. 2, that the resident had been making explosive devices, and that police would pursue criminal charges.

MacNamara and others at a press conference at police headquarters could not yet say how many devices were removed from the house and set off at a safe location. He described the devices as “similar to an M80, but larger.”

Between 150 and 200 guns, plus “tens of thousands” of rounds of ammunition, were also found in the house, MacNamara said Wednesday. He could not say what type of guns they were, but said most were long barreled.

The resident, who police have not yet identified, is believed to have worked at Remington Arms, to have a background in chemistry and to have been involved in rocketry as a hobby, MacNamara said.

MacNamara said authorities are not sure when that hobby “crossed the line.”

Police first responded to the house early Tuesday after a relative living out of state asked for a check on the well-being of the man. MacNamara said Tuesday officers went to the door, the man responded, appeared fine and the relative was advised of that.

Later Tuesday, the man called police reporting that there had been a burglary. Officers arrived, and during their investigation, discovered that a large quantity and variety of chemicals were stored throughout the house and garage, MacNamara said Tuesday.

One of the officers experienced a burning sensation in the throat when inside the house, but did not require treatment, the chief added.

Explosives technicians rendered the scene safe, allowing the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to identify the chemicals. MacNamara said it is likely that a privste company will be contracted to remove the items.

Nearby residents were advised to leave, but allowed a short time later to return.

Approximately 11:48 Bridgeport Police receveid a call of shots fired outside Ninety Acres Park next to Discovery Magnet School on Park Avenue. Police spokesman William Kaempfer told my by phone there was no evidence of a shooting but the school was placed on lock down as a precaution.  Police received four calls of the shots fired.

I spoke with witnesses who heard the shots. They were from a Yeshivah School in Brooklyn New York and they thought the wooded area was a shooting range and thought nothing of hearing consecutive gun shots. They didn’t realize there was a situation until police arrived and questioned them.

The students from Yeshivah Elementary were rock climbing outside the school when the shots rang out

and teachers from the Discovery School quickly ushered the students inside the school for safety.

A Silver Maximum and a White Grand Am were seen fleeing the scene immediately after the shots were fired but it is not known if they were related to the incident.

A perimeter was set up by Bridgeport Police around the area and police cars were seen parked outside John Winthrop Middle School and library on Madison Avenue behind the park.

1:41am–#Bridgeport CT– #Fairfield CT–Bridgeport Police are tracking a burglary suspect in the Brooklawn Villa Avenue area.   Police are looking for a stocky man who is bleeding.

12:07am–#Bridgeport CT–A woman and her mom were just robbed on  Truman Street by two males in black shirts and jeans.  Both displayed and gun and took both women’s pocketbooks.  The suspects fled on foot down Truman Street  towards Alexander Drive.

10:14pm–#Milford CT #cttraffic–Traffic is slow going on I-95 northbound near exit 39B for an accident.  Unknown if any injuries.  Traffic appears to be moving in the right lane or breakdown lane only.

4:48pm–#Bridgeport CT– Be on the lookout for a man with a hat claiming to be from the electric company on Ellsworth Street and Whittier Street, walking towards Fairfield Avenue.

 

(Bridgeport, CT – Oct. 1, 2013) — The Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force announced three significant arrests as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal firearms trafficking in Greater Bridgeport.

Among the weapons seized were an illegal Street Sweeper — a Cobray 12-gauge shotgun with collapsible stock, front pistol grip, and 20-round drum — and a Romarm AK-47-type assault weapon with 30-round, high-capacity magazine. The magazine was loaded with 22 live 7.62 x 39 rounds.

“These weapons have devastating capability. They posed a risk to our community and our police officers. The rounds in the seized AK-47 would rip though a police officer’s bullet-proof vest,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. “Imagine what it would do to a group of young people standing on a corner.”

The investigation remains active and additional arrests could be announced.

So far this year, the Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force has seized 45 firearms off of the streets in Bridgeport and its surrounding towns. The task force is comprised of Bridgeport Police, Department of Correction, and State Police personnel.

“This is a small unit – four people — but it has had enormous success in reducing violence in Bridgeport,” said Chief Gaudett. “They don’t often make headlines because so much of their work relates to preventing violence before it happens.”

The mission of the task force is to target violence, gangs and drugs in Greater Bridgeport and a key component of that mission is to target gun traffickers.

As part of this investigation, police have arrested five individuals and seized nine firearms. Because the investigation is ongoing, three arrests were announced today.

In the last 10 days, the task force made multiple arrests related to the seizures of firearms in Bridgeport and Stratford, including but not limited to the following arrests:

 

Sergio Paul, 21, and Nolan Moore, 28, were arrested on Sept. 23, 2013, and Sept. 25, 2013, respectively for the illegal sale of a Ruger .357 Magnum handgun on April 4, 2013.

Paul and Moore were both charged with criminal possession of a firearm, illegal transfer of a firearm, conspiracy to illegally sell a firearm, and weapon in a motor vehicle.  Moore was additionally charged with firearms trafficking and a number of other firearms-related charges related to two additional illegal firearms sales, one of which being the Street Sweeper.

Paul has another pending criminal case related to a May 7, 2013, arrest by the Bridgeport Police Department for multiple firearms charges.

Paul and Moore are jailed at the Bridgeport Community Correctional Center on $250,000 and $200,000 bonds respectively.

 

Jeremias Serrano, 33, was arrested on September 24, 2013, for the illegal sale of a Romarm AK-47 type assault weapon.

Serrano was charged with sale of an assault weapon, conspiracy to sell an assault weapon, possession of an assault weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, weapon in a motor vehicle, three counts of sale of narcotics, conspiracy to sell narcotics, and sale of narcotics within 1500 feet of a School.  Serrano is currently being held at the Bridgeport Community Correctional Center on $150,000 bond.

 

Additional arrests are pending.

“These weapons have no business being on our streets or in any civilized society for that matter. They are plain and simple weapons of war,” said Mayor Bill Finch, “and the war shouldn’t be waged on the streets of American cities.”

Mayor Finch again called upon Congress to pass meaningful gun legislation, including a requirement for universal background checks.

“My deepest thanks to the members of the task force. Theirs is dangerous work and they risk their lives every day to protect our residents.”

An AK-47-type weapon could yield between $1,000 and $1,200 on the black market. A Street Sweeper could yield about $800.

 

Bill Kaempffer

Public Safety Spokesman

Bridgeport Police Department

Bridgeport Fire Department