Category: Trumbull

#Trumbull CT—Trumbull Police arrested a Bridgeport man Monday evening after he was reported to be driving erratically, and was found to be in possession of drugs and an illegal handgun. Police located the Hyundai Elantra driving on Main Street where the vehicle was stopped and police investigation led to the driver being taken into custody. Keith Wilkerson, age 25, of Hawley Avenue, was arrested and charged accordingly for his involvement in this incident.

At approximately 4:30 PM on Monday, May 8, Officer Fortunato was notified by a passing motorist of an erratic driver. The officer located the vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and Route 15, and stopped the vehicle nearby. The driver, Wilkerson, said that he was running late for work at the Trumbull Mall and had just picked up his six (6) year-old son, who was now sitting in the front passenger seat.

Officers learned that the vehicle was not properly registered and would have to be towed, so officers had Wilkerson exit the vehicle. Officer Tantimonico observed what appeared to be a firearm inside of a bag that Wilkerson was holding and was trying to conceal from view. Officers secured the bag and discovered a loaded 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number, a spring-loaded switchblade knife, numerous folds of heroin, and several ecstasy pills inside of the bag.

Wilkerson was charged with Risk of Injury to a Child, Illegal Alteration of Firearm, Illegal Possession of a Weapon in a Motor Vehicle (3 counts), Carrying a Dangerous Weapon (3 counts), Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts), Illegal Transfer of a Firearm, and Carrying a Pistol without a Permit. He was held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on May 25, 2023, for these criminal charges.

Wilkerson was also charged with Misuse of Marker Plates, Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Operating a Motor Vehicle with No Insurance and Operating a Motor Vehicle without a Valid License. He was held on an additional $1,000 bond for the motor vehicle charges, and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on May 25.

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2023-05-12@7:11pm–#Trumbull CT– A structure fire on Putting Green North reported.

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[NEW] Trumbull Police have confirmed the identity of the body that was discovered in the wooded area near the Pequonnock River Valley on Sunday, May 7. The Chief Medical Examiner notified police and confirmed the person’s identity as that of Matthew Robinson, age 29, of Trumbull.

Around 12:30 PM, the Trumbull police were detailed to the wooded area near the end of Hardy Lane, where a hiker found the remains of a deceased male. Various items belonging to Robinson were nearby, but Robison’s identity could not be confirmed. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but there were no signs of foul play, and this was determined to be an isolated incident with no threats to the public.

The Trumbull Police Detective Division, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Division, and the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection responded and coordinated efforts to investigate the incident.

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2023-05-08@12:57pm–#Trumbull CT– #cttraffic– Report of a blue Hyundai Elantra with a temporary plate waving a firearm on the Merritt Parkway. The car got off exit 48 according to radio reports.

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#Trumbull CT–This afternoon, Trumbull Police are investigating the discovery of a body in a wooded area that borders the Pequonnock River Valley walking trail. A hiker was traveling through this densely wooded area a short distance from Church Hill Road when he came upon a partially decomposed body and some personal property nearby. The area is not easily accessible to the public walking trail and is far from any local residences. There were no obvious signs of foul play and police are classifying it as an untimely death, based on the preliminary information. Detectives are working to determine the identity, along with any related circumstances that would have led to the death. More information will be provided as detectives continue their investigation.

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Trumbull News: On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, Trumbull police arrested four teenagers after they were observed attempting to enter parked vehicles in the Trumbull Marriott parking lot. The suspects had abandoned a stolen vehicle and ran from officers. Two 13-year-old males, one 14-year-old male, and one 15-year-old male, all from New Haven, were arrested and charged for the crimes in this incident.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., the Trumbull police were notified of four suspects pulling on car door handles in the parking lot of the Marriott on Hawley Lane. A responding officer observed the juveniles, matching the description of the suspects, leaving the area and walking through the parking lot. The officer told them to stop, but they ran away through the nearby woods toward Target. The group of teens eventually ran into Best Buy where they were finally apprehended by police.

Officers checking the area located a red 2013 Hyundai Sonata GLS, which was reported stolen to Shelton police the same day. This red Hyundai was found unoccupied with the engine running, a window shattered, and the ignition is broken as it was parked at the rear of the Marriott. There was also a USB cord found on the driver’s side floor, which is commonly used to start Hyundai’s after removing the ignition cover.

Police investigation revealed that a blue Hyundai had been recovered in Shelton, which had been reported stolen to the West Haven police on May 1, 2023. This blue Hyundai was driven to Shelton by the teens, where they abandoned it before stealing the red Hyundai. The 15-year-old was also listed as a Missing Person by the New Haven Police Department on April 4, 2023.

All juveniles were charged with Larceny of Motor Vehicle, Conspiracy to Commit Larceny of Motor Vehicle, and Interfering with Police. They were all released to the custody of their guardians on a Promise to Appear in New Haven Juvenile Court on May 4, 2023.

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#TRUMBULL CT

Captain Anthony Lopes started his career with Trumbull Police in October 2006, and has held a variety of assignments since that time. Most recently, he was working as a lieutenant for Administrative Services where he was primarily responsible for facilities and fleet management, the Records Division, and financial matters including budget preparation. He previously served in various roles including Patrol Shift supervisor and Quartermaster in the Support Services Division. He is also the Commanding Officer for the department’s Dive Team. Captain Lopes holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Central Connecticut State University. As of May 1, he will have responsibility for all Uniformed Operations.

Lieutenant Paul Driscoll was hired by Trumbull Police in March 2001 and spent much of his career in the Patrol Division, including an assignment as a rider with the Traffic Division’s Motorcycle Unit. He also worked in the department’s Detective Division for a period of time. Lieutenant Driscoll holds two (2) Bachelor’s Degrees from Westfield State College. He will be taking over as the midnight Shift Commander in the Patrol Division starting the month of May.

Sergeant Quinn Gagstetter has been with Trumbull Police since October 2016, where he has served as a Patrol Officer and member of the department’s Dive Team and Honor Guard unit. During his graduation from the Milford Police Academy in 2016, he received several awards for high academic achievement, as well as exceptional proficiency in practical skills training. Since that time, he has earned several department service awards, including two (2) for Life-Saving incidents. Sergeant Gagstetter previously served with the U.S. Coast Guard and is still an active member with the USCG Reserve Unit in New Haven. He is also working toward a degree at Naugatuck Valley Community College. Beginning in early May, Sergeant Gagstetter will be assigned as a supervisor in the Patrol Division.

These promotions, along with two (2) other recent sergeant promotions from this same candidate list, were made following the retirement of several senior officers last year, including one Captain and a Deputy Chief. Other vacancies for sergeant positions were filled earlier by the promotions of Sergeants Tim Fedor and Brian Federowicz, following the retirement of a senior sergeant in December of 2021. Department administrators consider the promotion of these ranking officers essential to the effective operation of the agency, in order to maintain a level of professional standards by providing adequate supervision and management.

The Department has been struggling with a shortage of personnel, primarily due to numerous resignations, plus a severely diminished applicant pool which has limited the ability of the agency to replace those officers in a timely manner. Last year, in 2022, the department lost a significant number of personnel, which included three (3) retirements and ten (10) resignations. During that same time, seven (7) recruits were hired, but most of them are still in the police academy and field training and will not be available to work independently until the end of the 2023 calendar year.

The Trumbull Police Department continues to recruit and hire officer candidates to fill twelve (12) vacancies, in an attempt to regain the authorized strength of eighty-two (82) officers. Significant monetary incentives are being offered for certified applicants, but everyone is encouraged to apply. More information and applications can be found at PoliceApp.com.

[Photo attached, L to R: Sgt. Gagstetter, Capt. Lopes, and Lt. Driscoll

2023-05-01@4:51pm–#Trumbull CT– Report of a car and motorcycle colliding at Main and Blackhouse Road. No word on injuries.

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#Trumbull CT– On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Trumbull police arrested three (3) men as they exited the Trumbull Shopping Mall as they tried to elude officers nearby. The individuals walked away from a stolen vehicle and were also found to be in possession of drugs and a large knife. Keisean Chavis, age 21, of Chapel Street, Isaiah Johnson, age 20, of Howard Avenue, and Giovanni Abreu, age 19, of Kimberly Avenue, all residents of New Haven, were arrested for their involvement in this incident.

Around 5:30 PM, officers observed the three (3) men walking towards a stolen vehicle, but when the men observed the police they immediately turned away from the stolen vehicle and began walking back towards the mall. As the officers approached the men, Chavis threw the keys to the stolen vehicle on the sidewalk. Trumbull police located an Acura ILX on the Trumbull Mall property that had been reported stolen to the New Haven police on April 28. All three (3) men were then taken into police custody without incident and admitted to coming to the Trumbull Mall in the stolen vehicle. Chavis admitted to police that he drove the vehicle to the Trumbull mall, and he was found to be in possession of a large pocket knife. Abreu was found to have several individualized glassine bags of crack cocaine in his possession. Both Chavis and Abreu are convicted felons and have lengthy criminal histories to include prior convictions of larcenies, firearm offenses, and interfering with police. Abreu is also a supervised person with Adult Probation.

Chavis was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Dangerous Weapon. Abreu was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Possession of Narcotics and Possession of Narcotics with Intent to Sell. Johnson was charged with Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle. All three (3) men were each held on a $5,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on May 8, 2023

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Trumbull CT– On Friday, April 14, 2023, Trumbull police were notified of a fight at the Hillcrest Middle School carnival where one (1) teen pulled out a knife on another teen before leaving the area. The thirteen (13) year old male resident of Grasmere Avenue in Fairfield, was eventually located by police and arrested for his involvement in this altercation. Around 8:30 PM, Trumbull police were notified of a fight that occurred at the carnival, and officers were given a description of the youth who displayed a knife. A witness told officers that they observed two (2) individuals fighting when one (1) teen pulled out a knife on the other teen. The second teen backed off, and then both left the area. As officers checked the area they located the suspect that matched the description who had the knife. This juvenile was detained and a camouflage pocketknife was eventually located in his possession. The teen told police that he did display the knife, but had no intention of using it as he was just carrying it for protection. Throughout the night numerous officers were dealing with the many groups of unruly roving groups of juveniles who were causing disturbances at the carnival. At one point, a large group of juveniles was observed running towards the wood line with their phones out stating that “there is about to be a fight”. Responding officers observed a large group of teens circle around two (2) other juveniles who were actively fighting while the group recorded the incident on their cell phones. Responding officers were able to quickly break up this fight and take both of these teens into police custody.

One involved juvenile stated that he was approached by an unknown group of teens who asked him if he wanted to “slap box” another male for $10. This juvenile agreed to it and did not know who the other male juvenile was. The involved juvenile stated he and the other male began to “slap box” at which time police arrived and broke them up. The teens stated that it was not a real fight it was just a TikTok trend that is popular. No injuries were reported on this night at the carnival. A fifteen (15) year old male resident of Woodend Road Monroe, and a sixteen (16) year old male resident of Merritt Street Bridgeport, were both arrested and charged with Breach of Peace. They were both released to the custody of their guardians on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Juvenile Court, at 60 Housatonic Avenue, on April 26, 2023. The teen with the knife was arrested and charged with Possession of a Deadly Weapon, and a Breach of Peace. He was released to the custody of his mother, on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Juvenile Court, at 60 Housatonic Avenue, on April 24, 2023.

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