Bridgeport Man Arrested After Firing 10 Shots in Stratford Domestic Dispute

On July 25, 2025, Stratford Police responded to 143 Oakland Place after Joseph Gray allegedly fired 10 gunshots at his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend during a domestic dispute. No one was injured. Gray was arrested on August 1 in Bridgeport and charged with Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Attempt Assault, and Illegal Discharge of a Firearm. He remains held on a $225,000 bond and is set for arraignment on August 4.

Seymour Man Charged for Selling Stolen Cars Online After Stratford Investigation

In March 2025, Stratford Police received two separate complaints from residents who unknowingly purchased stolen vehicles online—one on Craigslist and another on Facebook—each costing about $12,000. Detective Jay Delauri executed five search warrants, leading to the arrest of 30-year-old Tyrone Purcell of Seymour, a convicted felon with prior firearms charges. Purcell surrendered to police on August 1, 2025, and was charged with multiple counts including Forgery, Identity Theft, and Larceny. He was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on August 8, 2025.

BLUMENTHAL SLAMS VA’S MOVE TO STOP PROVIDING LIFE-SAVING ABORTIONS TO VETERANS

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today released a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) move to stop providing abortion care to veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.

“The government should not be able to impose a pregnancy on anyone— least of all survivors of rape, abuse, or those whose health is at risk. Current VA policy guarantees that, at the very least, veterans who are raped or who could die without an abortion can get the care they need. It is disgusting and dangerous that the Trump Administration will strip VA’s ability to provide essential health care to veterans in these harrowing situations. It is a harmful and reckless move that reneges on the Department’s promise to provide every veteran the health care they earned and deserve. We cannot let VA stop providing this care to veterans by ripping away this narrow, targeted protection. I will be fighting as hard and long as possible to reverse this cruel, dangerous new policy.”

In September 2022, VA began to offer abortion counseling to all pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries, and abortion in cases of rape, incest, or the life or health of the veteran or CHAMPVA beneficiary. This was in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling creating urgent risks to the lives and health of pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries in states that have banned or otherwise severely restricted access to abortion.

More than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care. More than half of these women live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions.

Robbery Arrest in Norwalk

Norwalk Police have arrested 34-year-old Mario Osorio-Lopez in connection with a July 12th armed robbery at Veterans’ Park. A juvenile victim reported arranging a meeting through Snapchat to sell high-value items when three suspects approached, one displayed a knife, and the items were forcibly taken. Osorio-Lopez was arrested on multiple charges including robbery, larceny, and risk of injury to a minor. Police say more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

Trumbull Police Investigate Overnight Car Break-Ins

Trumbull Police are investigating a series of overnight vehicle break-ins in the Daniels Farm Road area, including one vehicle that was stolen and later recovered in Bridgeport.

Authorities are urging residents to remove valuables and keys from their vehicles and to report any suspicious activity to the police. Anyone with information or video surveillance footage related to these crimes is asked to contact the Trumbull Police Department.

Westport Appoints Alberto Vargas Jr. as Director of Information Technology

Westport, CT — First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker announced today the appointment of Alberto Vargas Jr. as the Town of Westport’s Director of Information Technology, effective August 4, 2025.

Mr. Vargas has more than 20 years of experience leading digital transformation, modernizing enterprise systems, and strengthening cybersecurity in both public and private sectors. Most recently, he served as Director of IT and Business Relationship Manager for ATG Entertainment, where he oversaw enterprise-wide technology strategy, multi-site cloud migrations, cybersecurity enhancements, and digital service modernization across 19 venues in North America.

Previously, Mr. Vargas spent over 8 years with the New York City Department of Finance, where he played a key role in the development and successful creation of NYC’s first citywide mobile hearing platform that boosted digital accessibility by 67% and led cross agency modernization projects focused on cybersecurity, online adjudication, and process automation. He also held senior roles in the financial sector at Citi, where he directed enterprise change management and continuity planning initiatives.

Mr. Vargas holds an MBA in E-Commerce and Business Administration from Walden University and a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Fordham University, where he served as President Emeritus of the Student Organization of Latinos. His professional credentials include Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP), ITIL v3 Certified, and multiple advanced certifications in Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Change Management, and Program Management from Microsoft, Google, IBM, AWS, and Vanderbilt University.

“Alberto is an exceptional addition to our leadership team,” said First Selectwoman Tooker. “His track record of transforming IT operations and his vision for leveraging technology to serve the public make him the ideal person to lead our Information Technology Department. I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue advancing Westport’s digital infrastructure and services for residents and staff.”

Mr. Vargas added, “I am honored to join the Town of Westport and eager to build on the strong foundation laid by Eileen Zhang. My goal is to deliver secure, innovative, and user-focused technology solutions that enhance Town services and strengthen connections with our community. Leadership for me is empathy plus action.”

Mr. Vargas resides in Brookfield, Connecticut with his wife and 2 children.

Stratford Library Awarded GELS Grant

The Stratford Library has announced that the State Library Division of Library Development awarded the Library a Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS) Grant 2025 for $3,500 for Leveling Up Programming and Engagement for People with Autism. The grant is funded by the State of Connecticut and the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library.

The GELS Grant is a six-month grant initiative to support a library on their journey to providing equitable services in their community. Created by the CT State Library, Division of Library Development, Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS) is a workshop series that strives to provide the training that helps libraries become strength-based, trauma-informed, antiracist, social and emotionally conscious community institutions.

Stratford Library staff in the Adult Services and Circulation Departments attended customized training sessions conducted by Autism Level Up consultants. Staff learned skills to better serve autistic adults in the library, changes to implement that can make communication easier, and program accommodations to help autistic adults feel welcome. They also are planning new programs with autistic adults in mind.

The Library invites community input on ways it can improve library services for neurodiverse patrons via email at slaask@stratfordlibrary.org or in person at the Reference Desk.

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