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Bridgeport Police Blotter 3-1-2013

K-9 Convinces Suspect to Lie Down
(Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 28, 2013) – A 19-year-old thought better of bailing from a stolen vehicle when confronted by K-9 Trace and his partner Mark Martocchio. On Tuesday, Martocchio was on patrol when he spotted a 2013 Nissan Rogue that was listed on the daily stolen car sheet. The vehicle pulled into a gas station at Park and Wood avenues and the driver exited and walked toward the gas pump. He returned to the sport utility vehicle after seeing police. He tried to drive off but Martocchio blocked him in and exited the squad car with his K-9 Trace. The driver, Phillip Silas, 19, of Kelsey Street, started to bail out of the car but stopped when he heard the dog barking. The officer gave a verbal command to get on the ground or the dog will be released. “Silas looked over his shoulder and decided to lie down on the ground as requested,” Martocchio said.
There were no injuries, the stolen car was recovered and Silas was charged with first-degree larceny. His bond was set at $20,000.

Police Find Assault Suspect, Knife in Garage
A 32-year-old man was charged Thursday with assaulting a woman who had rebuffed his romantic advances. At 2:17 a.m., Officer Daniel Paz was sent to a gas station in the 1300 block of Noble Avenue for an assault victim. He found a 23-year-old female victim with cuts to her hands. She told Paz and Officer Michael Divila that she was watching television with a friend in her room when the assailant kicked in the door and attacked them with a knife. All three work together and live in the same multi-family house.As police and medics tended to the woman, who had defensive wounds to her hands, Officers Ean Smith and Roberto Quintanilla and Sgt. Robert Magnuson went to the location of the assault at 1251 Noble St. They found the male victim, 31, who gave the same account as the female victim. After some searching, the officers found the suspect, Pedro Ciriaco-Cantu, 32, hiding in a rear garage. He was placed under arrest and then showed police where he hid the knife. The suspect was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, possession of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct. The female victim declined transport to the hospital. The male victim was taken to Bridgeport Hospital.

Bridgeport Fire Engine Donated To Haiti

(Bridgeport, CT – March, 2013) – A 1982 Mack fire engine went on its final call for service in Bridgeport – to bring hope to an island nation 1,500 miles away. The decommissioned pumper left Bridgeport Friday for Massachusetts, where it will be loaded onto a military transport plane and begin its journey to Haiti. “I’d like to thank the Bridgeport Fire Department, which for many, many years took tender loving care of this Mack fire engine. This has many years of life saving left in it,” said Mayor Bill Finch at the send-off ceremony. “The City of Bridgeport is so proud to be able to take its still serviceable fire apparatus and give it to countries that need the help, like Haiti.”

The truck is being driven to Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Mass., where it will be loaded onto a military transport plane. It ultimately will arrive in Port-au-Prince and be driven to the city of Petion-Ville, a city of 280,000. To make it happen, the city partnered with Haiti-works Inc., a local non-profit dedicated to relief efforts and rebuilding in Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake.

“Today is such a great day for all Haitians,” said Pierre d’Haiti from Haiti-works, Inc . “This is what it is all about. This is not just a red machine going to Haiti. It is hope that we are bringing to the island of Haiti.” Councilwoman Michelle Lyons, who spent a decade doing missionary work in Haiti, was instrumental in making the donation a reality. She also worked with Congressman Jim Himes to bring a resolution to Congress urging municipalities around the country to donate decommissioned equipment to Haiti. “This is an exciting moment,” she said at the send-off.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Petrucelli said the engine had been used as a spare until last year, when it was taken out of service completely. Usually, the fire department goes through an auction process to dispose of unneeded equipment but City Council passed an ordinance allowing the department to donate equipment to countries in need. The City has previously donated fire trucks to the Dominican Republic.

Man With Gun Arrested In Road Rage Incident

(Westport, CT) Thursday, February 28, 2013, at approximately 5:02pm, Westport Police Dispatch received a 911 call of a road rage incident involving a firearm. The caller reported he was traveling east on Post Road East approaching the Bulkley Avenue intersection when a white male jumped out of his vehicle and pointed a black hand gun at him. The caller was able to obtain the license plate of the vehicle which was registered in Trumbull. The operator and vehicle description were given to Fairfield Police as this was their direction of travel. Fairfield Police located the suspect vehicle on Pemburn Drive in their town and waited for Westport officers to arrive and investigate the incident. A black Glock 9mm semi automatic hand gun was located on the waist of the suspect, 21 year old Tyler C. Keiser. The gun was safely taken from Keiser without incident.

It was reported that Keiser cut off the victim who then flashed his high beams at Keiser. Reportedly, Keiser then exited his vehicle and brandished the firearm.

Keiser was charged with Threatening 2^nd degree 53a- 62, Reckless Endangerment 2nd Degree 53a-64 and Breach of Peace 2^nd degree 53a-181 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Keiser was released on a $2500 bond and is scheduled to appear in the Norwalk Court on 03/08/13. The handgun was seized as evidence. The investigation revealed that the firearm is registered to Keiser and that Keiser has a carry permit for the weapon.

Amber Alert Ends Tragically

Earlier tonight an Amber Alert was issued, looking for a white 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan out of North Stonnington CT. We were the only news source to report that Deborah Denison had taken her grandchildren from daycare, had a .38 revolver and had suicidal tendencies. We were the first new source in the country to report that the van was located around a lake running near Foxwoods parked by Lake of Islles. Trooper One, the state police helicopter is in the air searching. The Major Crime Unit was called to the scene to investigate. Sadly the van was found with all three dead in the minivan along with a suicide note in the van. Troopers and EMS responded to the scene, and the car from the Amber Alert was located. Six-month-old Aston Perry, 2-year-old Alton Perry and Debra Denison, 47 were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. State Police have begun their investigation.

Bridgeport Detectives Arrest Shelton Woman for Threatening Letters

(Bridgeport, CT – Feb 26, 2013) – A Shelton woman faces multiple counts of threatening after she sent letters containing a suspicious substance to Saint Vincent’s Medical Center.D etective David Garcia led the investigation. He and Lt. Chris Lamaine arrested Theresa Burden, 37, of 71 Sachem Drive in Shelton, today for four counts of first-degree threatening. She was held on $50,000 bond.

Burden is a student of the St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, and the charges stem from threatening letters containing a suspicious substance that have been sent to the hospital commencing on Dec. 12, 2012.

The letters caused alarm on numerous occasions within the institution, resulting in the hospital closing portions of the facility until the substance could be analyzed by state and federal authorities.

Burden was arrested at her home without incident and the motive for sending the letters has not been established. The investigation is ongoing, according to Capt. James Viadero, the head of the Bridgeport detective bureau.

The State Police are currently investigating a similar case in which threatening letters containing a similar substance were sent to the Governor. No arrest has been made in that investigation.

Whitehead’s Plane Sculpture NOT Hijacked As First Feared

I received calls and e-mails from a few followers fearing that the sculpture/mobile of aviation pioneer Gustave Whitehead had been hijacked. Everyone feared the wound up in a salvage shop. No one knew exactly when including customers and employees at the McDonald’s that is next to it when it disappeared. The foundation proudly showed the corporate sponsor ADKO and I knew they were down the block on State Street. It turns out it was taken down for the winter so it would not receive any damage from storms. The video below shows how active the mobile is in the wind. The video was recorded the day of its dedication May 15, 2012.

Bridgeport Police Seize Gun, Drugs

Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 26, 2013) – Detectives seized a loaded handgun and a significant quantity of cocaine as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.

Jorge Morales, 26, of 430 Harral Ave., was held on $100,000 bond on charges including possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 1500 feet of a housing project, possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon.

Morales had been a target of the narcotics and vice unit, and a narcotics detective developed information Monday night that Morales had drugs in his car and was about to go out.

Narcotics investigators contacted members of the department’s Violent Crime Initiative and Morales was detained.

With the assistance of a narcotics sniffing dog, police located 45 grams of cocaine, two grams of heroin and nine grams of marijuana hidden in the car. Police received permission to search Morales’ house and recovered a .38-caliber revolver loaded with six bullets, 10 grams of marijuana and a stun gun.

Bridgeport Police Blotter

Man Steals Wine, Breaks into Apartment, Threatens Medics–(Bridgeport, CT – Feb. 25, 2013) — A 20-year-old faces a variety of charges after he stole a bottle of wine from a bar, broke into a nearby apartment, threatened ambulance workers and then tried to escape from police. It all happened Saturday over the course of several hours. Officer Michael Salemme initially was called to a downtown bar at 5:45 p.m. where a bartender said a man, whom she wouldn’t serve, came behind the bar, grabbed a $20 bottle of wine and ran off. Police had responded to that report when, about an hour later, Officers Martin Pizighelli, Carlos Vazquez and Donald Bensey were called to the 600 block of Fairfield Avenue for a burglary-in-progress in an apartment building. Police spoke to the resident, who said he arrived home to find a man with facial piercings prone in his kitchen, a window smashed and blood on the floor. The resident grabbed the man and threw him into the hallway. Police were called. The description of the suspect, who fled the scene, matched that of the wine thief.

Not long after police arrived, the suspect, later identified as Dylan Vitti, had returned and was found on the fire escape of the Fairfield Avenue building. He was identified by the resident as the intruder and subsequently identified by an employee at the bar as the thief. While en route to the hospital for treatment for cuts to his leg and knuckles, which he apparently suffered while breaking into the apartment, Vitti made threats to the medics. At the hospital, he provided a variety of different names to police and medical staff. And after he was treated, Vitti tried to escape but only made it a few steps before an officer corralled him. Vitti was charged with sixth-degree larceny, second-degree burglary, second-degree threatening, interfering with police and criminal attempt at escape from custody. Vitti is believed to be homeless. His last known address was on Saber Lane in Stony Brook, N.Y.

Employee Assaulted at Gentleman’s Club–As we were first to report!

A woman was assaulted with a beer bottle Saturday at a strip club. Officers Ashley Taylor and Jose Paz were sent to Pleasant Moments Café. at 1 William St., on a report of an assault at 1 a.m. Saturday. Police found the victim, an 18-year-old employee, bleeding from the head and being tended to by other dancers in a dressing room. According to the victim, she brought a customer into a room for a private lap dance and when she finished he would not allow her leave, made sexual advances and began choking her. She managed to escape and ran out of the room. Before they fled, however, a second male, who was with the assailant, threw a beer bottle at her that struck the victim on the head. She was treated at the hospital for her injuries. No arrests have been made.

Burglary Investigated at Huntington Turnpike Business–Police are investigating a break-in at a Huntington Turnpike business. Officers Michael Davila and Juan Esquilin were sent to the Dollar Tree store Saturday morning on a report of an attempted break in. An employee there reported that someone had unsuccessfully tried to break into the store’s cash office by cutting through a wall from an adjacent, vacant storefront. While the officers investigated, the officers observed a hole in the sheet-metal roof inside the vacant space and a hole in the wall leading to a different business, Harbor Freight Tools, at 345 Huntington Turnpike. Officers spoke to the store manager, who had just arrived at the business, and discovered the wall had been breached to an office and that a safe containing three days worth of receipts had been cut open with some type of power tool. Detectives are investigating.

Happenings NOW 2-25 thru 2-27 2013

2/27

10:58am–#Bridgeport CT #ctfire–City Hall Annex 999 Broad Street a package was dropped off at the Office of Internal Affairs with what appears to be a hand grenade inside. Firefighters reporting a confirmed explosive found at 999 Broad Street, City Hall Annex in the Office Of Internal Affairs. The building has been evacuated and the area is completely sealed off to traffic.

1:50am–Bridgeport CT–Reported structure fire in the basement at 194 Summerfield Ave. Firefighters on scene reporting heavy smoke coming from the structure. 3 lines in operation, all occupants are out of the building. Fire Marshall called to the scene.

2/26

5:16pm–#Bridgeport CT–Firefighters are at the scene of Marina Village with a odor of gas outdoors between buildings 9 and 18.

I met today with Maureen from Lil’ Mo’s Cafe at 2415 Main Street in Stratford. What a great little place right across from the theater (very clean too!). Maureen and her mom use to run the Bun and Burger on Paradise Green. Maureen prides how fresh her food is like all the meat is from Hilltop Butchers on Huntington Turnpike. I didn’t even know butcher shops exist anymore! I look forward eating there with my family and will be reporting on it when I do.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lil-Mos-Cafe/134702539906389?fref=ts

3:32pm–#Stratford CT– On the corner of Oakland place and Edgewood Street there is a report of a bus fire at the rear of the bus, bus was occupied, unknown injuries, firefighters on the way. UPDATE–I was 2 minutes from the call. When I arrived there was no smoke or fire. It turned out to be an odor investigation. The children on the bus were transferred to another bus that was quickly dispatched.

1:42am–#Norwalk CT-Structure fire at 27 Nash Place. Fire was in the basement and the wood burning stove is suspected. One person was treated for smoke inhalation on the scene. Fire marshal called to the scene.

1:27am–Bridgeport CT #ctfire–Wake up East Side! Tonight’s car fire is in front of 165 Alpine Street

12:44am–Fairfield CT–Two arrested for trying to steal baby formula at the CVS on Black Rock Turnpike.

12:35am–Fairfield CT–Police give two infractions for drugs at Loyola Hall Fairfield University after being busted by security.

2/25

11:06pm–Bridgeport CT–Car left running at Omar’s Market at 15110 East Main Street. It only takes a second……

10:47pm–Shelton CT –Car accident Route 8 northbound between exits 12-13 with possible injuries.

10:01pm–Fairfield CT– EMS and firefighters were called to a Mellville Drive resident who lacerated his writs on a stuck window.

9ish–Bridgeport CT–Police are investigating a possible carjacking in the 400 block of Wood Avenue. Police are looking for a blue 2009 Nissan Altima CT plate-695 XWY

8:51pm–Bridgeport CT–A University of Bridgeport student was robbed at the corner of Park Ave. and University Ave.

7:55pm–Bridgeport CT–ctfire—Bystanders and Firefighters pull a woman from the waters at Captain’s Cove on Yacht Street. Woman was treated for hypothermia

6:51pm–Bridgeport CT–Report of a pedestrian hit by a car at the intersection of East Main and Louisiana Ave.

5:12pm–Norwalk CT–Smoke in the building at Fitness Edge at 542 Westport Ave. Firefighters on the way.

4:59pm–Bridgeport CT–Report of an odor of gas inside Price Rite on 164 Boston Ave. Here come a bunch of fire trucks!

2:57pm–Norwalk CT–Possible structure fire at 35 Glasser Street. Firefighters on the way.

2:14pm–Bridgeport CT–Attempted break in at home in the 700 block Pembroke Street. Man broke in but the alarm system scared him off, the homeowner was home on the 2nd floor and heard him and called police. Keep an eye out if you live in this area.

10:51am–Bridgeport CT–Firefighters on scene at a home on Lakeside Drive with high carbon monoxide readings. The furnace is suspect and has been shut off.

10:49am–Bridgeport CT–Utility worker being threatened because his truck is blocking a homeowners drive. Calls sure are different in in the mornings!

10:12am–Weston–Police are investigating that a city carting truck threw a bottle out the window according to a complainant……….

9:18am–Bridgeport CT–Report of an street robbery at Fairfield Ave. and Iranistan Ave. A man with pantyhose over his face armed with a knife robbed the victim of her phone and wallet.

Police Standoff in Fairfield

7:26pm–Police are at Sunnyridge Avenue condo/apartment complex where a suicidal man hit his girlfriend the head with a gun and threatened to harm her. He then barricaded himself in the apartment. He has registered to him two Glocks, and AR-15 and he also has 12 gauge pump shot gun. Taking no chances police called in the SWAT team and armored personnel carriers from Bridgeport to the scene. They also have evacuated residents in the complex and surrounding area. Police negotiators have been trying to contact the man by phone but he keeps hanging up on them. Ruger, Fairfield’s K-9 is about to be deployed.

UPDATE–Shot fired in the wooded area by High Street not the condo. Police saw a flash in the woods NOT in the condos. Unknown if he is on the run thermal imaging camera being used. Roll call in a moment to ensure everyone is ok.

UPDATE–Suspect took his own life.

Press Release From Fairfield Police:

On Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 at 7:24 pm, Fairfield Police were called to the scene of a barricaded subject in the Colonial Gardens Condominium Complex at 245 Sunnyridge Avenue.

Initial reports indicated a verbal domestic dispute ensued between a boyfriend and girlfriend inside the condo. The girlfriend retreated to a neighbor’s condo followed by Garni, she reported being threatened and requested police. The boyfriend, Douglas Garni (dob 7/1/72) who resided at 245 Sunnyridge Avenue Apt 23 retreated back toward his residence after learning police were called.

The first arriving officers interviewed the girlfriend and learned Garni had several weapons registered to him and they were inside the condo. A perimeter was set outside the condo awaiting the arrival of the Emergency Services Units. Bridgeport and Fairfield ESU, along with Fairfield and Norwalk Hostage Negotiators arrived on scene attempting to make contact with Garni.

Several nearby condos had to be evacuated and those residents were assisted by Fairfield Fire personnel. They were relocated to Station 2 for the duration of the incident. AMR and Fire personnel remained on scene and staged in the area of High Street and Raymond Drive in the event they were needed to provide medical assistance. The Fire Department also provided a heat seeking unit to enhance the ESU Teams capabilities.

For several hours negotiators attempted to make contact with Garni, by phone and audible PA systems to no avail. At approximately 11:00 pm, a single gunshot was heard from the wooded area just north of Garni’s condo. ESU members closed the perimeter searching the wooded area which quickly led to the discovery of Garni’s body. Preliminary reports indicate that he sustained a self inflicted gunshot wound.

The area remained an active crime scene until 2 am this morning until the scene could be processed by detectives and the State Medical Examiner’s office personnel concluded their at-scene investigation. If any additional information develops over the course of the day we will make that available to you.