Local News in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Stratford, Norwalk, and Beyond!
Author: Stephen Krauchick
DoingItLocal is run by Steve Krauchick. Steve has always had interest with breaking news even as an early teen, opting to listen to the Watergate hearings instead of top 40 on the radio. His interest in news spread to become the communities breaking news leader in Connecticut’s Fairfield County. He strongly believes that the public has right to know what is happening in their backyard and that government needs to be transparent. Steve also likes promoting local businesses.
#Norwalk CT–On January 6, 2023, at 11:51pm, the Norwalk Combined Dispatch received several 911 calls reporting shots fired in the Garner Street area. Responding Patrol Division Officers discovered evidence that shots had been fired, and thankfully no one was injured. The Norwalk Police Detective Bureau assumed the investigation and determined that multiple suspects had fired shots at a victim on Garner Street. Based upon their investigation, arrest warrants were issued for two suspects.
On January 11, 2023, Norwalk Detectives, assisted by the Emergency Service Unit Tactical ResponseTeam arrested two suspects at their homes, as previously reported. Norwalk Police Detectives continued the investigation and developed the identity of a third suspect, Dashanti Ray Patterson-Hamlin, along with probable cause to apply for a warrant for his arrest. On February 16, 2023.
Detectives obtained said arrest warrant, located, and arrested Patterson-Hamlin.
Arrested: Dashanti Ray Patterson-Hamlin, 29, of Ferris Ave., Norwalk, CT.
Charges: Criminal Attempt at Assault 1st, Reckless Endangerment 1st, Illegal Discharge of a Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Assault 1st
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) issued the following joint statement after Tesla recalled more than 360,000 of its vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta software due to crash risk:
“NHTSA rightly pushed Tesla to issue this necessary recall. We have long warned that there are critical flaws with Tesla’s software, including the rolling stops feature, which puts the public at grave risk. While a critical step, this recall is long overdue and was clearly needed, as we explained when we raised alarm about Tesla’s features. We strongly urge NHTSA to swiftly require recalls for safety risks it finds during its ongoing investigations, and Tesla must finally stop overstating the real capabilities of its vehicles.”
Blumenthal and Markey have long pushed for autonomous vehicle (AV) technology safety. In August 2021, Blumenthal and Markey sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), calling for the agency to launch an investigation into Tesla’s advertising of driving automation systems. The full text of the letter can be found here. In February 2022, Blumenthal and Markey sent a letter to Tesla Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk following numerous reports of dangerous braking flaws in Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems and amid several federal safety investigations, voicing serious concerns with the implementation of the company’s technology. The full text of the letter to Musk can be found here. In June 2022, Blumenthal and Markey issued a joint statement applauding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for upgrading its investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis after identifying additional crashes at first responder sites. In October 2022, Blumenthal and Markey issued a joint statement on a reported DOJ investigation into Tesla’s misleading advertising of driving automation systems.
#Westport CT– On January 18 th , 2023 Officers responded to the parking lot of Shake Shack on a report of a theft from a vehicle. The responding officer located the complainant in the parking lot standing next to his work van. The complainant reported that he was inside a business doing work and when he returned to his work van, he noticed that it had been entered, rummaged through, and tools had been stolen. Leaving the parking lot, the complainant observed a black pickup truck containing some of his items in the bed of the truck. The investigating officer reported the suspect vehicle and shortly thereafter, Fairfield Police Department advised that they had stopped the vehicle and located items belonging to our complainant. The operator of that vehicle was identified as Jimmie Bennett. A warrant was submitted and approved charging Mr. Bennet with the above-referenced charges. On February 10 th , Mr. Bennett was in Stamford Superior Court on an unrelated matter when the Judicial Marshalls advised they were holding him on our warrant. Mr. Bennett was transported to Westport PD where he was charged with the above crime and held on a court set bond of $50,000.
#Bridgeport CT– On Thursday February 16, 2023, the Bridgeport Police Department arrested 46-year-old Bridgeport resident Jorge Ruiz (DOB 01/19/1977) for multiple armed robberies that occurred throughout the City of Bridgeport and other municipalities in the State of Connecticut.
During the time of his arrest, Jorge Ruiz had an outstanding robbery warrant for an armed robbery that occurred at Sergio’s Pizza located at 780 Madison Avenue on February 1, 2023. Jorge Ruiz was armed with a Mac 10 / Uzi type firearm during this robbery.
On February 15, 2023, at approximately 7:15 pm, the Junco and Sons Market located at 616 William Street was robbed at gunpoint. On February 16, 2023, at approximately 1:15 am, the Cumberland Farms Gas Station located at 2525 East Main Street was robbed at gunpoint. On February 16, 2023, at approximately 5:25 am, the Checkers Food Store & Deli located at 233 North Avenue was robbed at gunpoint. Jorge Ruiz is a suspect in all three robberies.
As a result of the Bridgeport Police Department’s Patrol Division investigation into the Checkers robbery, police officers were able to locate an unoccupied vehicle associated with the crime and call for a Connecticut State Police (CSP) K9 team to conduct a track for the suspect(s). The CSP K9 team (Trooper 1st Class Michael Trudeau & K9 “Hector”) tracked the suspect vehicle to the area of 100 Front Street, where they located and identified suspect Jorge Ruiz. At that point, suspect Ruiz was taken into custody for 4 outstanding warrants. Ruiz was transported to the Bridgeport Police Department and charged with the following:
Warrant-Robbery in the 1st Degree (Sergio’s Pizza, BPT CT) Bond is set at $100,000.
Warrant-Violation of Probation (BPT CT) Bond is set at $50,000.
Warrant-Violation of Probation (Stratford CT) Bond is set at $10,000.
Warrant-Violation of Probation (Naugatuck CT) Bond is set at $60,000.
Jorge Ruiz was released from the CT Department of Corrections in December of 2021 after serving 14 years for multiple armed robberies. He also has convictions for escape and firearms offenses.
Additional charges for armed robbery, firearms violations, and larceny are pending. An updated press release will be submitted by the close of business.
I would like to thank the officers assigned to the BPD Patrol Division, the Detective Bureau’s Robbery Squad, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the CSP K9 Unit for their hard work in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion. BPD Robbery Squad Detective Damien Csech has done an outstanding job as the case officer.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is requested to contact the case officer at 203-581-5205. Citizens can also utilize the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
#Stratford CT–The Stratford Police Department is actively investigating a fatal accident on Main Street near Garden Street. During the incident, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle traveling north on Main Street. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The striking vehicle and operator remained on the scene.
The roadway is closed near garden street between North Avenue and Freeman Avenue and remains so until the completion of the initial investigation.
The identity of the pedestrian is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
At this time no further information is available as to the cause of the accident or possible charges.
If anyone witnessed the incident please contact the Stratford Police Department at Dispatch Center @ 203-385-4100 or Sergeant’s Desk @ 203-385-4145.
2023-02-15@3:03pm–#Trumbull CT– Firefighters are battling a number of brush fires off the Merritt Parkway near White Plains/Nichols area near Columbine Drive.
