#Milford CT– On December 29, 2022, officers were dispatched to Pilot at 433 Old Gate Lane for a fight. The victim stated that they were approached by Efrain Rodriguez, 41 of Stratford who began to make derogatory remarks toward them, including racial slurs.
Rodriguez was told to leave the premises by security, and he refused. Rodriguez got close to the victim and pushed them. After being separated by onlookers, Rodriguez fled. Officers spotted Rodriguez on Old Gate Lane and Rodriguez attempted to run and refused to comply. Rodriguez acted aggressively and attempted to fight officers on the scene. Rodriguez was taken into custody and charged accordingly. He was released on a promise to appear.
Applications for Operation Fuel, which provides emergency energy and utility assistance to Connecticut households facing financial challenges, are now open and available at www.operationfuel.org. Applicants can receive grants of up to $1,000 to heating customers earning up to the state median income, which is currently $66,270 for individuals and $127,443 for households of four. Applicants can visit www.operationfuel.org/gethelp/ for aid, with applications available online or in-person at a fuel bank partnering with Operation Fuel. The program’s website says that applicants should gather proof of the last four weeks of income for all household members, the name of their fuel vendors for deliverable fuel customers, or their utility bill and payment history for electric/gas/water customers.
#Milford CT–On September 2, 2022, the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force (SOCITF) learned of a complaint from a resident of Milford, Connecticut, regarding a larceny by false pretenses. This larceny resulted in the loss of $41,150.00 when the victim was scammed into depositing the money into a series of Bitcoin ATM machines. The incident was also reported to the Milford Police Department, and it was determined that SOCITF would assume the investigation. The funds were traced to two major cryptocurrency exchanges located in both the United States and the Cayman Islands. During the month of September, SOCITF investigators were able to recover a portion of the Bitcoin from the two exchanges. Investigators learned that the suspects reside outside of the United States and no arrest is anticipated at this time. The seized funds, amounting to approximately $23,000.00, were returned to the victim on 12/30/2022 as a result of a successful restitution action before the Milford Superior Court.
Scams involving cryptocurrency are on the rise and are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. While it is possible for law enforcement to investigate these cases and possibly make a recovery, time is of the essence. If you believe that you are the victim of a scam, make a report to your local police department or local State Police troop as soon as possible and file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, at www.consumerfinance.gov
2023-01-02@2:44pm–#Bridgeport CT– According to radio reports, a “friend” called EMS for their friend who was unresponsive on Kossuth Street. They called back to say they are turning person is turning purple and they have to leave for work. EMS on the way.
Bridgeport, CT – The City of Bridgeport is set to receive funding from the recent 2023 Bipartisan Omnibus Spending Bill that was passed to assist municipal governments. The $1.7 trillion bill allows towns and cities throughout Connecticut to receive funding for projects under the process that was once known as “earmarking.” The practice allocates large pots of money to lawmakers to aid their state and respective districts. In the case of Bridgeport, Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Chris Murphy, and Senator Richard Blumenthal have all submitted requests that were approved for projects that would take place in the Park City.
Mayor Ganim stated: “I would like to thank Congressman Jim Himes, Senator Chris Murphy, and Senator Richard Blumenthal for their work towards the continuous development of the City of Bridgeport. Most importantly, I would like to thank President Joe Biden for passing a bill that will benefit towns and cities across the country. The City of Bridgeport will continue to complete these projects that are planned for our community.”
The recently passed bill will allot the City of Bridgeport $5 million for construction of Lafayette Circle in Downtown Bridgeport; a request that was jointly submitted by Senator Murphy and Senator Blumenthal. The Workplace will receive $1 million for workforce development that would provide unemployed and underemployed women of color with an array of skills and training, along with access to programs that would provide strategies to reduce anxiety and stress. The Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County will also be receiving $2 million to aid in the construction of affordable housing in the Park City. Connecticut has received $236 million in funding overall.
#Milford CT–On December 28, officers were dispatched to Gulf Street near Dock Road for a woman being thrown from a vehicle. Upon arrival, the suspect, Mandel Givens, was attempting to leave the scene and was detained after a brief struggle with the officers. Witnesses stated seeing a vehicle at the side of the road and a woman screaming for help. The victim stated that while giving Givens a ride, he attempted to take the keys of the vehicle and grabbed the steering wheel. When they pulled over, a struggle ensued, and Givens threw the victim to the ground. The victim screamed for help and a group of Good Samaritans attempted to intervene and tried to stop Givens from fleeing. Givens was taken into custody and charged with
#Bridgeport News: On January 1, 2023, at approximately 3:00 am Bridgeport Police Officers responded to Federal Street on a report of a party shot in the leg. The incident allegedly began inside Club Azul (922 Madison Avenue) and ended with the assault taking place outside the club on Federal Street. Further information indicated the victim was transported by private vehicle to the hospital. A short time later the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center received information that a male party presented himself at an area hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. The victim is a 19-year-old Bridgeport man.
The Detective Bureau has responded and taken over the investigation. A crime scene was processed on Federal Street and Detectives are working on several leads. Anyone with information about this crime is requested to contact the case officer, Detective Jose Bahr, at 203-581-5217. Citizens can also utilize the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
