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Community Raises Over $23,000 for Baby Aaden's Funeral

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More than $23,000 have been raised so far for the funeral of a 7-month-old baby boy found dead in the Connecticut River and to help his family.

The goal on a GoFundMe page is to raise $25,000 for the funeral of Aaden Moreno and to help out his mother, who graduated from high school this year.

Aaden died after his father, Tony threw him into the Connecticut River off the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown before jumping himself, police said. Tony Moreno survived and has been charged in his son's murder.

So people in the community are reaching out to help the family in the wake of the tragedy as they prepare to lay baby Aaden to rest. Funds on a GoFundMe campaign will first pay for Aaden's funeral and any leftover donations will benefit the mother.

"She has said time again she's shocked and overcome by people's generosity, and is grateful for every prayer and dollar. Blessings to each of you," the latest GoFundMe page update said.

Aaden's body was found in the Connecticut River in East Haddam on July 7.

"Aaden's young mother and her family are now facing the indescribable pain of losing baby Aaden," the GoFundMe page says. "They are also now suddenly faced with having to pay for funeral expenses for this sweet boy before he could even have his 1st birthday party. On behalf of Aaden's grieving mother, we are raising money to give baby Aaden the funeral service and final resting place he deserves. Please consider donating any amount, and say a prayer for baby Aaden."

It's unknown when the baby's funeral will be.

Family, friends and strangers attended a vigil on Wednesday to remember 7-month-old Aaden Moreno on Wednesday night.

Aaden's mom was too overcome with grief and could not read the words she'd written during the vigil, so her sister spoke for her.

Through the statement, she thanked everyone who gathered inside South Congregational Church in Middletown as they remembered her son.

"Until this day I had my faith my baby would come back to me. Today is not reality. I lost my son," Aaden's mom wrote. "Everything I do from now on is for my son."

Aaden's mom's requested a protective order against Tony Moreno and court records show a judge denied it days before Aaden was killed.

Over the past week, thousands of people have signed an online petition for a law that aims to protect children caught in similar circumstances.

For more information on how to help Aaden's family, you can visit the GoFundMe page created to raise money for the funeral and his mom.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut and Silver Alert

CT Native Killed on Metro to be Laid to Rest

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On Sunday, family and friends remembered a former intern for Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes and Trumbull native who was stabbed and killed on the Metro in Washington, D.C. over the 4th of July weekend.

Kevin Sutherland, 24, was fatally stabbed on a D.C. Metro train while on his way to visit friends for a Fourth of July party.

Police in Washington, D.C. have arrested Jasper Spires in connection with Sutherland's death. Investigators believe Spires stabbed Sutherland on the train in between stops during a robbery gone awry. According to court documents, Spires had been arrested July 2 on felony charges pertaining to robbery and violence. The charges were downgraded to a single misdemeanor, and Spires was released from custody July 3. He allegedly killed Sutherland the next day.

Calling hours were held Sunday at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home in Trumbull and and funeral services will be there on Monday morning. The Mass of Christian Burial will then take place Monday at Saint Jude Church in Monroe on Monday morning, followed by his burial at St. Monica Mausoleum in Trumbull's Gate of Heaven Cemetery, according to his obituary.

Family and friends still are having a tough time dealing with how Sutherland died, but Sunday was more about looking back on how he lived his life.

"He was an amazing guy and one of our best friends, Palak Gosar, a friend of Kevin's, said.

Friends and former college classmates reminiscing on the years they had together with Kevin Sutherland.

Those who knew him say the always happy guy was transformed by studying at American University and then living in Washington D.C.

A statement from his parents was read by a family friend.

"His last six years in Washington D.C. were the happiest times of his life," Anita McBride, a family friend read.

Friends of Sutherland are still shocked by his sudden passing and said he had a bright future.

"I think Kevin's willingness to help anybody is something to be very much remembered.

Sutherland loved photography and his shot of the U.S. Capitol was one of his favorites. His other passion was politics.

Sutherland had interned for Himes and worked on the staff of the congressman, who tweeted his disbelief Sunday after learning of Sutherland's death. His recent work included helping Democratic campaigns.

"Am absolutely heartbroken by the tragic loss of intern, staffer & wonderful friend, Kevin Sutherland," Himes wrote. "I've known few as selfless & decent."

"The day before, he and I got lunch together and his exact words were this, "I've never been happier working than I am right now,'" Gosar said.

Family and friends have started funds for a scholarship and internship in his name through his alma mater, American University.

"The Trumbull, Connecticut native left his mark on AU as a two-term secretary of the student government, an advocate for liberal causes, and a kind and passionate friend to many," according to the scholarship and internship page on the AU website. "Diving into life in Washington, Kevin interned for U.S. Representative Jim Himes and after graduation, worked for New Blue Interactive, a digital strategy firm that helps Democratic candidates’ fundraising programs."

Click here for more information on how to donate to the Kevin Joseph Sutherland Memorial Fund started by his family and friends and the Kevin Sutherland Internship Fund established by his coworkers.



Photo Credit: U.S. Rep. Jim Himes
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Man Stabbed During Robbery Attempt in Hamden

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Police have arrested a 32-year-old man accused of stabbing and trying to rob another man in the parking lot of a Hamden market on Sunday afternoon.

Richard Moore-Taylor, 32, of Butler Street in New Haven, was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and second-degree larceny.

Police said Moore-Taylor tried to rob the 53-year-old victim outside the P&M Corner Mart at 192 Butler Street in Hamden while the man was getting out of his car around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The victim told Moore-Taylor he would hand over some cash after making a purchase at the convenience store. As the victim was leaving the store, a fight broke out and Moore-Taylor stabbed the victim repeatedly in the chest, stomach and arm, according to police.

Police said Moore-Taylor tried to steal the victim's car but couldn't put it in gear.

First responders found the victim bleeding profusely and rushed him into emergency surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Police described his injuries as non-life threatening.

Police spotted Moore-Taylor running southbound on Butler Street and took him into custody.

He was held on $250,000 bond and is due in court July 27.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police Department

Men Steal Lottery Tickets From Off-Track Betting

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Police are searching for the men who held an off-track betting employee at gunpoint and stole lottery tickets from the Bristol facility on Sunday evening.

The two robbers approached a worker outside Winners at 16 Barlow Street around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, according to police. They brought the employee inside, pulled out a gun and demanded money.

Although they didn't get away with any cash, the two did manage to steal lottery tickets before driving off in a white sedan with red rims that had been waiting outside, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to give them a call at 860-584-3011 or submit an anonymous tip by callingn 860-585-TIPS (8477).



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Police Make Fifth Arrest in Stabbing of Teen at Shelton Party

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Police have arrested a fifth person in connection with the May 2 stabbing of a 19-year-old woman at a house party in Shelton.

Jamar Smith, 21, is the fifth and final person to face charges in the case, according to police, who previously arrested four teenagers linked to the assault a 833 River Road.

Police said the brawl started inside the house and spilled out onto the street, at which point a 17-year-old girl stabbed the 19-year-old victim in the back. The injured teen, who also suffered a cut on her head, was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center for treatment.

The following people have been arrested:

  • The 17-year-old stabbing suspect was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace.
  • A second 17-year-old girl was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace.
  • Merita Rugova, 18, of Shelton, and charged her with aiding and abetting second-degree assault, third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. She posted $5,000 bond and is due in court July 21.
  • Jeremy Thompson, 18, who lives at the home where the fight broke out, is accused of misleading investigators and was charged with interfering with an officer. He posted $1,000 bond and is due in court July 21.
  • Jamar Smith, of Derby, was arrested July 11 when police stopped his car in Bridgeport. He was charged with second-degree assault, aiding and abetting second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. Smith posted $15,000 bond and is due in court July 22.


Photo Credit: Shelton Police Department

Car Alarm Alerts Sleeping Hamden Resident to Burglary

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A sleeping Hamden resident was jolted awake early Monday morning when an intruder set off the homeowner's car alarm, according to police.

Hamden police said the burglar slipped through the front window of a home on Mather Street sometime before 2:30 and 4 a.m. Monday. The thief took electronic equipment and car keys, then tried to steal a 52-inch television.

The homeowner awoke to the sound of a car alarm going off when the burglar apparently tried to steal his car, according to police.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the department's Major Crimes Division at 203-230-4040.

Dump Truck Hits Pole, Leaks Fuel in Litchfield

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Route 202 was down to one lane on the Torrington-Litchfield town line after a dump truck struck a pole and leaked fuel onto the road late Monday morning, according to police.

Torrington police said the road was blocked off after the crash at the intersection of Fern Drive. Authorities closed Route 202 to remove the truck, but the road has since reopened.

No one was hurt but crews are dealing with a fuel leak, according to state police. The fire department has been called out to help clean up the spill.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Rock Cats Game Canceled Because of Irrigation Issue

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Monday night's game between the New Britain Rock Cats and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats has been canceled because of a broken irrigation system at the stadium, according to a press release from the Rock Cats.

The team cited "unplayable field conditions."

Since the game will not be rescheduled, fans can exchange their tickets for tickets to any other home game remaining in the 2015 season, according to the Rock Cats.

The Rock Cats will return to New Britain Stadium next Monday to face the Binghamton Mets.

Call 860-224-8383 or go to www.rockcats.com for tickets.



Photo Credit: New Britain Rock Cats

19-Year-Old Shot on Read Street in New Haven

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Police are searching for the person who shot a 19-year-old in the buttocks near 114 Read Street in New Haven late Monday morning.

New Haven police said the victim is undergoing surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he's listed in stable condition.

Witnesses told police the victim was walking in a group on Butler Street when a passenger in burgundy-colored sedan opened fire. They reported hearing half a dozen gunshots as one of the victim's associates opened fire.

Police believe the shooter is a young man between the ages of 17 and 19. He stands about 5 feet 7 or 5 feet 8 inches tall and has short hair. Police said the gunman was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the shooting.

The suspect's car was last seen leaving the area of Butler Street toward Hamden.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

2 Young Men Charged in Hamden Burglary

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Police have arrested two young men accused of stealing the key from a car parked on Flower Drive in Hamden.

Melik Henry and Willie Griffin, both 19, were taken into custody over the weekend.

Officers investigating the report of suspicious people on Brentwood Terrace spotted the two suspects in a resident's backyard and ran after them. Police said they found Henry hiding under a deck holding a stolen car key.

According to police, Henry had entered the parked car and taken the key.

He was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny, interfering with an officer and simple trespass. Henry, of New Haven, was held on $3,500 bond and is due in court July 27.

Griffin was taken into custody and arrested on a warrant out of New Haven.

Dad Drove Drunk With Sleeping Child in Back Seat: Police

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A Windsor dad is facing charges after driving drunk with his child asleep, unbuckled, in the back seat, according to police in South Windsor.

Police pulled over Joseph Ramos, 41, around 11:30 a.m. July 6 on John Fitch Boulevard in South Windsor. He seemed to be driving under the influence, and officers noticed a young child sleeping in the back seat. Police said the child was not wearing a seat belt.

Ramos failed a series of field sobriety tests and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, risk of injury to a minor, failure to wear a seat belt and failure to secure a child.

He was held on $5,000 bond and appeared in court July 7.



Photo Credit: South Windsor Police Department

Police Arrest Man Accused of Opening Fire in Hamden

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Police have arrested a man accused of opening fire at a group of people after a party in Hamden last month.

Hamden police said four friends had attended a party June 7 and were walking back to the car on Gorham Avenue when Javon Floyd, 25, of New Haven, started shooting at them.

Although no one was hurt, police found four bullet holes in the group's car.

Floyd was arrested July 8 and charged with criminal attempt at first-degree assault, carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief and violation of probation.

He was held on $750,000 bond and is due in court July 22.



Photo Credit: Hamden Police Department

Police Respond to Motorcycle Crash in Washington

Son of Boston PD Captain Plotted Terror Attack: Report

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The son of a Boston police captain has been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack college campuses on behalf of ISIS.

A criminal complaint charging Alexander Ciccolo, aka Ali Al Amriki, 23, of Adams, Massachusetts, with being a felon in possession of firearms was unsealed Monday by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Springfield. Ciccolo is being held in custody pending that hearing.

Officials say Ciccolo is the son of Boston Police Capt. Robert Ciccolo. Sources say Alexander has been in and out of mental health facilities since the age of 7, but when he turned 18 he refused care and went out on his own. His father reported his instability and terrorism threats to the FBI.

According to the complaint affidavit, on July 4, Ciccolo took delivery of four firearms - including two rifles with large ammunition magazines - which he had ordered from a person who was cooperating with members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. The supplier had been communicating with Ciccolo about Ciccolo's plans to engage in a terrorist act.

Ciccolo was arrested immediately after taking delivery of the firearms, which included a Colt AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, a SigArms Model SG550-1 5.56 caliber rifle, a Glock 17 9mm pistol, and a Glock 20 10 mm pistol. Ciccolo was convicted of drunken driving in February and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Prosecutors allege that Ciccolo is a supporter of ISIS and had spoken with the cooperating witness about his plans to commit acts of terrorism inspired by the terrorist organization, including setting off explosive devices, such as pressure cookers filled with black powder, nails, ball bearings and glass. He reportedly planned to set them off in places where large numbers of people congregate, such as college cafeterias. Prior to his arrest, agents also saw him purchasing a pressure cooker similar to those used in the Boston Marathon bombings.

After Ciccolo was arrested, agents searched his apartment and found several partially constructed Molotov cocktails. The incendiary devices contained what appeared to be shredded Styrofoam soaking in motor oil. Ciccolo had previously stated that this mixture would cause the fire from the exploded devices to stick to people’s skin and make it more difficult to extinguish. Agents also found two machetes and a long curved knife in his apartment.

According to court documents, the FBI became aware in the fall of 2014 that Ciccolo had expressed a desire to go overseas to fight for ISIS. A close acquaintance told the FBI that Ciccolo had a long history of mental illness and in the last 18 months had become obsessed with Islam. The acquaintance also said Ciccolo had recently said that he believed that the "faith is under attack" and that he was "not afraid to die for the cause." The acquaintance also reportedly received text messages from Ciccolo saying that America is "Satan."

In October of 2014, the FBI found a Facebook profile under the name "Ali Al Amriki" that contained information indicating that the user was interested in martyrdom for the sake of Islam and was living in the United States. Subsequent investigation identified the defendant as Ciccolo.

The FBI arranged for a cooperating witness to meet Ciccolo, who told the witness that he had a plan to engage in violence in support of ISIS. During one meeting on June 24, Ciccolo met with the witness in person and said that he would attack two different bars and a police station. He said he planned to use improvised explosive devices during the attack, including pressure cooker and portable microwave bombs. Ciccolo reportedly said:

"you put uhm, take a pressure cooker

Uhm, fill it up with ah, black powder

Yeah, you fill it up with ball bearings, nails glass, rocks ... you know."

On June 30, Ciccolo again met with the cooperating witness. During that conversation, the witness asked Ciccolo if he had heard what happened in Tunisia. Ciccolo responded:

"Awesome. Awesome, you know that ah, that brother in Tunisia was impressive ... he got like 38, 39 people ... one guy ... that is a huge accomplishment I think."

Ciccolo also reportedly told the witness he wanted to conduct an attack at a state university using assault rifles and improvised explosives. He said the attack would be concentrated in the college dorms and cafeteria and would include executions of students broadcast live via the internet.

After he was arrested, Ciccolo was taken to the Franklin County House of Correction. While meeting with a nurse for a routine medical screening, authorities say he stabbed her in the head with a pen, leaving a bloody hole in the nurse's skin and causing the pen to break in half.

Previously, Ciccolo was arrested on June 18, 2014 by state police in North Adams, Massachusetts, according to the North Berkshire District Court. He was charged with possession of an open container in a motor vehicle and carrying a dangerous weapon, but the charges were dropped on Feb. 15, 2015 at the request of the state.

The Ciccolo family released the following statement addressing Monday's arrest: “While we were saddened and disappointed to learn of our son’s intentions, we are grateful that authorities were able to prevent any loss of life or harm to others. At this time, we would ask that the public and the media recognize our grief and respect our desire for privacy.”

The investigation is being conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and member agencies including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Springfield Police, Ludlow Police, Holyoke Police, West Springfield Police, Easthampton Police, Pittsfield Police, Massachusetts State Police and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Adams Police and the Massachusetts State Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team.



Photo Credit: The Napanee Beaver
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Blumental Calls on Companies to Block Robocalls

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U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling on phone companies to install new technology that would block robocalls.

The Federal Communications Commission recently passed a measure allowing companies to do just that. The calls continue, despite laws that, in part, created the National Do-Not-Call Registry.

The count is a half-billion calls per year.

"If the phone companies fail to provide this service, they will become, in effect, enablers of the robocalls and that would be too bad for them," said Blumenthal, "but mostly it would be a shame for consumersm because they deserve to have these calls stopped."

The technology allows companies to block calls from known robocall numbers.

Annoying telemarketing calls are the No. 1 complaint to the FCC.

"Robocalls are big business. That’s because telemarketing fraud numbers as high as $40 billion a year," said Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.

Blumenthal urges people to demand the service.

The United States Telecom Association says it also wants to stop the calls but that it’s not as easy as it seems.


More Route 3 Closures Ahead

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Part of Route 3 will close to traffic again this weekend as construction continues on the Putnam Bridge.

The northbound lanes of the bridge, which connects Glastonbury and Wethersfield, will be closed from 8 p.m. July 17 through 5 a.m. July 20, according to the Department of Transportation.

Both southbound lanes were closed this past weekend.

The bridge will close in one direction the weekend of July 24 and will shut down in the opposite direction the weekend of July 31.

This month's closures are to accomodate the final milling and paving. It's part of a $35 million project to rehabilitate the bridge.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

NJ Man Charged After Puppies Left in Car for Hours Die

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A New Jersey man is facing animal cruelty charges after investigators say two puppies he left in a car while he went to work died.

The Sicklerville man is facing charges of leaving a living creature unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions; failure to provide a living creature with necessary care and causing the death of a living creature. 

Authorities say that the two dogs -- a 4-month-old husky named Zero and a 4-month-old golden retriever named Simba -- perished after spending about 4 hours in a hot car on July 4.

The man found the dead dogs after returning to the vehicle after he finished his shift. He was arrested after police came to the scene.

High temperatures hit the mid-80s in Sicklerville on July 4. 



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Mourners Say Goodbye to Kevin Sutherland

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Hundreds of mourners left Saint Jude Roman Catholic Church in Monroe, after the funeral mass for 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland, the victim of a savage attack in Washington, DC on the Fourth of July. 

These people knew Sutherland not as a passenger murdered on the Metro, but as the student government secretary at Trumbull High School, as a man with a promising future.
Last Wednesday, the Connecticut Congressman Kevin Sutherland had worked for, Jim Himes, from Greenwich, spoke of him on the House floor.  He said 20 years from now, Sutherland might have served in Congress. 
"Now," Himes said, "That's not going to happen.
"He believed that we could come together.  He believed that we could set aside petty prejudices.  He believed that we could bring our voices together in this chamber and make a better world."
Authorities in Washington say Jasper Spires stabbed Sutherland at least thirty times while others riding the Metro watched in horror.  
Two days before, police had arrested Spires in connection with a robbery.  One day before, he was able to leave jail.  On the Fourth of July, Sutherland had a cellphone and, allegedly, Spires wanted it.  

FBI Makes Arrest in 'Hoax' Kidnap

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The FBI on Monday announced it had arrested a California man — a former Marine and Harvard University graduate who suffers from bipolar disorder — in the kidnapping of a Vallejo woman that was once considered a possible hoax.

"Today is a fabulous day for Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn," said Huskins' attorney Doug Rappaport, standing next to his client and her boyfriend at a press conference Monday afternoon. "Nearly four months ago we told you she was innocent, that she was the victim of a violent crime ... Today there is vindication," he said, calling the alleged kidnapper a "psychopath."

Neither Huskins nor Quinn spoke at the press conference because of their pending trial, their attorneys said. "What they are interested in is getting their reputation back, their lives back and moving on," Rappaport said. "No matter how bizarre the facts are we were confident these were good people."

Suspect Matthew Muller’s Sacramento-based attorney, Thomas Johnson, told NBC Bay Area his client planned to “plead not guilty to the federal kidnapping charges against him in the Eastern District of California.”

A pair of swim goggles – allegedly used in the March kidnap case – and then found in the suspect's Ford Mustang in Tahoe last month, connected Muller, 38, of Orangeville, Calif., to the crime, the FBI affidavit states.

That's because there was a "long blonde hair" stuck to the goggles with duct tape, and the victim in the Vallejo case – Denise Huskins – also has long blonde hair. The arrest warrant, however, did not state whether the hair found on the goggles was indeed Huskins', and the FBI wouldn't answer that question specifically.

Federal documents also state that Huskins reported she was sexually assaulted twice during her abduction. FBI spokeswoman Gena Swankie would not say if agents are looking for other suspects, only that this continues to be an "active investigation." The victim statements imply there are at least two kidnappers.

The surprise revelations come more than three months after Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn both reported they were kidnapped and then were questioned by Vallejo police about the veracity of their story.

Huskins and Quinn were so upset by these allegations that they hired attorneys to defend them and demand an apology from police – which, as of Monday morning, they had not yet received. In an email, Vallejo Police Lt. Sidney DeJesus referred all questions, including whether there would be an apology for calling the kidnap allegations a trick, to the FBI.

"I think it's been a difficult, terrible situation for all of us," said attorney Dan Russo, speaking for the couple at a Monday news conference. "We are hoping that Vallejo PD steps up to the plate. We firmly believe there are other people involved and we want them off the street ... At this point an apolgy is no good, apologies don't do anything, what we want to see is some real action, we want to see the person associated with these terrible things off the streets."

Rappaport said Vallejo police failed to ask the basic questions and instead rushed to judgement.

Vallejo police responded to Monday's developments with a "no comment."

Muller was arrested on June 29 for allegedly kidnapping Huskins and Quinn in March, though the FBI documents do not name either victim. The documents in the case were unsealed on Monday.

The FBI said Muller was arrested following a home invasion robbery in June in Dublin, which had many “similarities” to the Vallejo kidnap, the FBI said. Muller's attorney said his client has already pleaded not guilty in the Dublin case. In a 60-page arrest warrant, Muller is listed as a Marine from 1995 to 1999 and a 2006 Harvard graduate. The document also says that Muller taught at Harvard from 2006-2009.

He is also a disbarred San Francisco immigration attorney, according to the California State Bar. The FBI affidavit states that Muller told authorities that he suffers from "Gulf War Illness" and is bipolar.

Specifically, Muller was arrested last month after a couple was tied up, Dublin Police Lt. Herb Walters said. In the Dublin case, Muller was charged with attempted degree residential buglary, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 27.

A sworn affidavit containing allegations against Muller highlight new – and bizarre – details of the March 23 kidnap that involve stolen Wi-Fi passwords, swim goggles and wet suits.

And the FBI agent who wrote it also specifically mentioned that the victims were under a cloud of suspicion, which became a huge part of the case. "As explained below, law enforcement actually made a public statement that this was not a kidnapping," FBI Sepcial Agent Jason Walter wrote.

But according to Walter's report, the situation was very serious: The woman who was kidnapped said she was sexually assaulted twice, on March 23 and 24. (NBC Bay Area does not typically identify victims of sexual assault, but is doing so in this case because of its extraordinary nature. Huskins also appeared Monday at a news conference in front of a bank of cameras.)

Huskins was taken to a hospital in Napa, the affidavit reads, but there was no "physical evidence of non-consensual sex." The affidavit also states that there were inconsistencies in some of her testimony.

Still, according to the affidavit, on March 23, at approximately 1:53 p.m., a man – later identified in media interviews as Quinn – called Vallejo police to report that his home on Kirkland Avenue had been broken into during the early morning hours. He also said that somebody “forcibly drugged” both him Huskins, and used his car to take both of them to an unknown location.

The suspect or suspects shone a bright light in his eyes and possibly took out a stun gun.

The suspect then order Huskins to bind her boyfriend with zip ties and told both to enter the bedroom closet, the FBI affidavit said. Then, the suspect covered Quinn’s eyes with swim goggles and stuck headphones over his ears, the FBI said.

The headphones were used to play a prerecorded message that provided instructions, indicated that the break in was being performed by a professional group on site to collect financial debts, and threatened that both victims would be hurt by electric shock or by cutting their faces if either of the two victims did not comply, according to the affidavit. 

The suspect then obtained financial account numbers and passwords from Quinn, as well as Wi-Fi information, the FBI said.

Quinn was placed on the couch told he was being watched on camera so he better not try to free himself, the FBI said. Quinn asked for a blanket because he was cold, but the suspect said he couldn’t tell the temperature because he was wearing a “wet suit,” according to the affidavit.

Quinn then fell asleep on the couch and freed himself once he woke up. But he noticed that Huskins was missing. He was able to find both his and his girlfriend’s cell phones. His phone contained a voicemail message with a financial demand of two payments totaling $8,500 each and instructions to tell those who inquired about his transactions to say the funds were for purchase of a ski boat, the FBI said.

Two days later, Huskins was released, found walking around in Huntington Beach near her mother's hosue.

Then, on June 5, a home was robbed in Dublin, and police there, along with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, identified Muller as the “subject of the investigation.”

On June 8, the sheriff’s office searched a home in Lake Tahoe associated with Muller, and arrested him there, the FBI said. The goggles were found in his Mustang.

On June 25, the FBI determined there were a lot of similarities with the kidnapping report and the home invasion robbery in Dublin.

EDITORS NOTE: The article originally said Muller was a professor at Harvard from 2006-2009, but according to Harvard Law School, Muller has never been a Harvard professor. The law school said "someone with the same name" had once held a post as a research assistant.

NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez and Gonzalo Rojas contributed to this report.


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Shows at the Oakdale will Go On

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The shows will go on at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford after noise complaints threatened the concert venue's future.

After a lengthy hearing Monday night, the town's planning and zoning commission approved a special permit which allows concerts at the venue's theatre and dome areas.  
However, there will now be a curfew. 
Shows must end by 11:30pm Sunday through Thursday and by midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
"I hope it's the end. If it's not the end we will continue dealing with the noise but it's a much different issue now because we now have a permit to exist," said Jim Koplik, the president of Live Nation CT.
During the hearing, one resident spoke out opposing the concerts.
"The Oakdale has gotten so loud that we have had countless sleepless nights and very irritable days," said Maddalena Ferrante of Wallingford.
Many others spoke in favor of them.
"Complaints by one or two people should not ruin a situation for the town," said Ken Lloyd of Wallingford.
This comes after the town issued a cease and desist order in December because of the noise complaints and other issues.
The Oakdale says it's taken steps reduce noise there since January.
"These changes have resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of complaints," said Joan Molloy, the theatre's attorney.
Molloy says this ordeal resulted in plenty of lost business, as they had 13 shows in July and August 2014 and only four scheduled for that time frame this year.


Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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