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Man Photographed Student in Shower at CCSU

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Campus police are investigating after a man took photos of a woman as she was showering in a dorm at Central Connecticut State University on Saturday, according to the school.

The incident happened in a bathroom in Gallaudet Hall, according to the school. When the girl realized what was happening, she frightened the man off.

The intruder is described as 25 to 30 years old and has blond hair.

School officials said the incident appears to be isolated, but they are asking students to take precautions in their residence halls, keep doors are locked at all times and report any suspicious behavior to CCSU Police.

Anyone with information about the incident should call CCSU Police at 860-832-2375.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Rand Paul Drops Out of Presidential Race

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Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul said Wednesday he's dropping out of the race for the White House. 

The Kentucky senator, who finished with 5 percent of the vote in Monday's Iowa caucuses, said in a statement, "It's been an incredible honor to run a principled campaign for the White House. Today, I will end where I began, ready and willing to fight for the cause of Liberty."

Paul said he hopes to win another term as Kentucky senator. 

"Across the country thousands upon thousands of young people flocked to our message of limited government, privacy, criminal justice reform and a reasonable foreign policy. Brushfires of Liberty were ignited, and those will carry on, as will I," Paul said in the statement. 



Photo Credit: AP

Bones, Bloody Altars Found in Santeria Priest's Apartment: Police

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A Santeria priest accused of stealing human remains from a Massachusetts mausoleum was arrested as a fugitive from justice in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where investigators found human skulls, bones and bloody altars in his apartment, according to police.

Police arrested Felix "Cuba" Del Gado, 40, as part of a drug investigation Tuesday. Del Gado is the second Santeria priest in Connecticut accused of stealing human remains in Massachusetts, although it's unclear if the cases are connected.

Bridgeport Violent Crime Reduction and FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigators searched Del Gado's Hallet Street apartment after receiving information he was selling heroin and prescription pills from his residence, according to police.

Del Gado was wanted in a parallel investigation out of Worcester, where he's accused of breaking into a 112-year-old mausoleum. Police said the caskets had been removed or forced open. Bodies were also taken out, but police said small bones were left behind.

He was charged in Bridgeport as a fugitive from justice. It's not clear if he has an attorney.

Police said Del Gado was reported to be a high priest of the Santeria religion who was keeping the remains of humans and roosters in his basement. Santeria is an Afro-Cuban religion developed from the beliefs and customs of the Yoruba people and incorporates some elements of the Catholic religion.

Neighbors, largely from Puerto Rico and the West Indies, where Santeria is practiced, believed Del Gado was involved in the dark arts and were afraid to complain for fear he would curse them, police said. 

According to police, investigators found two human skulls and a "long" bone in Del Gado's basement that were "configured in a 'Palo Mayombe' type alter, which is a sub-culture within the Santeria religion."

They also discovered carved figurines, candles, antlers, flowers, miniature coffins, rum, religious statues and carcasses of chickens strewn about his basement. Chalk drawings of symbols like stars, the moon and a skull were observed on the cellar floor, police said.

Bridgeport police seized the remains, which will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Worcester police obtained a warrant for Del Gado's arrest charging him with eight counts of body disinternment. Bridgeport police were holding him in custody on a $125,000 bond ahead of his arraignment Wednesday and his extradition to Worcester. 

The district attorney's office for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has coordinated his extradition with the court. 

Del Gado's arrest is the second time Santeria has made headlines recently in Connecticut.

Former Santeria priest Amador Medina, 32, was charged after police found bones in his Hartford apartment. Authorities said Medina stole the bones from a mausoleum in Worcester and used them for Santeria ceremonies. Medina has said he bought the bones from someone else.

It's unclear if Medina and Del Gado are believed to have stolen from the same mausoleum or whether their cases are connected. Worcester police previously reported burglaries from two mausoleums.

The Cultural Association of African Religions Babalú Aye, a group connected to Santeria, has said followers of the religion do not recognize the use of human bones in their practice. Medina's membership was revoked.



Photo Credit: Bridgeport Police Department

#SB50, #NFLExperience Take Over San Francisco

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A mini city inside a city, a convention center turned into Disneyland for football fans and a tech-savvy NFL that will do anything it takes to impress (VR included).

Broncos and Panthers supporters are soaking it all up in San Francisco, but locals are not too happy (think tourists, tight-security, blocked streets, traffic, and even more traffic).

Those who work inside Super Bowl City limits along the Embarcadero are having to go through airport-like security as lines snake around entire blocks (not to mention K-9 units who keep sniffing at their bikes). There's mixed reaction on social media about all the "big guns" law enforcement are carrying around inside Super Bowl City — while some think it's a good idea after the recent Paris attacks, others describe it as scary and unnecessary.

Even with all the tight security, equipment said to be used for Snoop Dogg's live shows was reportedly stolen from an SUV in San Francisco.

Both visitors and Bay Area residents can be heard discussing media reports on how San Francisco's homeless are being "herded" out of Super Bowl City. Protesters are taking advantage of the Super Bowl limelight as well — staging impromptu rallies and demonstrations.

Then there's the whole "Why does San Francisco get to have all the fun" complaint — South Bay residents are not happy that San Francisco is hosting both Super Bowl City and the NFL Experience, while Santa Clara, where the actual game is going to take place, or its next door neighbor, San Jose, gets nothing.

"We are calling it the Silicon valley Bowl or Bay Area Bowl," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told NBC Bay Area at a Super Bowl Host Committee press conference Monday. "San Jose is doing great. We all benefit from this," Liccardo said, urging everyone to come out and enjoy the celebration.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee touted the philanthrophic nature of the event, describing it as the most "giving" Super Bowl ever. San Francisco won't be reimbursed for hosting Super Bowl, a sore issue with some residents.

Super Bowl Host Committee CEO and President Keith Bruce said that tens of thousands of locals have visited Super Bowl City since it opened last weekend. "We touted it as locals weekeend, so Bay Area residents could come and enjoy everything ... Each day more and more fans from around the country — not just Panthers and Broncos fans — will be coming in to enjoy all that we have to offer."

San Jose did get to host a Media Night extravaganza on Tuesday, with a little help from the NFL. Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Miss Universe made an appearance, as did an orange-and-blue leprechaun.

Manning talked about his legacy, Newton showed off his trivia skills and Josh Norman donned a Nacho Libre mask. And, the Panthers were named the "Best Bearded Team" by Head & Shoulders.

Here's a look as #SB50 and #NFLExperience take over San Francisco.

 



Photo Credit: Riya Bhattacharjee/NBC Bay Area

12-Year-Old 'Hero' Gunned Down by Afghan Taliban

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A 12-year-old boy hailed as a hero for defending his village from the Taliban was shot dead in what appeared to be a targeted assassination by the group, Afghan officials said Wednesday, NBC News reported.

Wasil Ahmad was honored at a public ceremony for playing a key role in defending the community of Dan Sango, in the southern province of Khas Uruzgan, during a 2-month-long Taliban siege last year.

Ahmad was shot twice in the head and chest as he bought groceries from a local shop in the provincial capital of Terin Kot. 

He was airlifted to Kandahar where he was pronounced dead, according to provincial police chief Gen. Ghulam Sakhi Roghlewanai who said the shooting appeared to be targeted.



Photo Credit: Bashir Ahmad

Police Investigating Car Thefts in Bethel

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Bethel police are investigating a series of car thefts, most of which have been in the downtown area.

Police said the vehicles were stolen, stolen and later returned to the area of the theft or there was an attempt to steal a vehicle.

All but one of the recent incidents happened in and around the downtown area of Bethel and several of the vehicles were unlocked or the keys were inside them before the theft.

All residents are advised to keep their vehicles locked and refrain from leaving keys in vehicles while they are parked or while warming them up before driving.

Residents are asked to report suspicious people or behavior to police immediately.

Meningococcal Infections at College

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Two students at Santa Clara University in California have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease, which can sometimes result in a deadly infection of the brain and spinal cord, school officials said Wednesday.

One of the two students tested positive for meningococcal meningitis, a bacteria that causes a serious and sometimes fatal infection of the brain and spinal cord membranes. The second student was found to have a bloodstream infection known as meningococcemia, or septicemia, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

"We are deeply concerned about the welfare of our students," said Father Michael Engh, president of the Catholic university, during a news conference. "Our hearts and prayers go out to our students."

The university learned of the infections when one undergraduate student became violently ill Sunday and was admitted to a hospital, according to the school. Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the second student was also feeling ill on Sunday but went to the hospital on Monday, and she urged the campus community to get preventative vaccines.

"Both are doing well," Cody said. Despite the scare, the campus is not closed and a celebration to be held before Sunday's Super Bowl is not canceled.

Cody said health officials will be monitoring the situation to see if there are any more cases. "There have been clusters on college campuses in the last several years," Cody said.

Meningococcal meningitis, a bacteria most common in Africa, is carried in the throat and back of the nose and transmitted by saliva and mucus during "prolonged close contact," often by kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing eating utensils, according to the World Health Organization.

Health officials warn that most college students are not protected against the strain of the illness one student contracted — serogroup B — as the federal government only approved vaccines for that serotype in late 2014 and early 2015. Test results for the second student are pending, Cody said.

Even when meningococcal meningitis is diagnosed and treated early, 5 to 10 percent of patients die, typically within one to two days after the onset of symptoms, according to the WHO. Left untreated, about half of patients die.

Symptoms include fever, headache and a stiff neck. Patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, confusion and sensitivity to light, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms typically develop within three to seven days of infection.

The health department and university is recommending that all students on campus receive either a Bexsero or Trumenba vaccination. The university is offering free vaccine clinics on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Concourse Level of Leavey Center. The health department will be issuing daily updates here.



Photo Credit: AP

Woman Who Pulled Over Officer Was Recently Cited for Careless Driving

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A woman who made national headlines when she filmed herself pulling over a Miami-Dade Police officer who was allegedly speeding is under investigation herself for an alleged careless driving incident.

Claudia Castillo is being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol for the incident two weeks ago, NBC 6 has learned.

NBC 6 reached out to Castillo for comment Tuesday but didn't hear back.

Castillo's cell phone pullover went viral last week, after it showed her flagging down an officer and berating him for allegedly speeding. It also got the attention of the officer's bosses and the Miami-Dade mayor.

"I think that he shouldn't have been speeding. But I thought the police officer at least from what I read acted in a professional manner. He apologized," Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.

Castillo claimed the officer was pushing 90 mph and said he was driving "recklessly."

NBC 6 has uncovered that the FHP is investigating an accident Castillo allegedly caused two weeks ago in which she was cited for careless driving. FHP also stopped her in 2014 for going 80 mph in a 60 mph zone but her case was dismissed.

Records also show Castillo has a history of getting pulled over, at least 14 times since 1998. Violations range from driving without a license, not wearing a seatbelt to failure to stop and speeding, with most of the cases dismissed.

On Tuesday, Miami-Dade's top cop praised the officer's professionalism but advised citizens against chasing down or pulling over law enforcement.

"The best way to denounce something, to launch a complaint against an officer, would be to just get the car number or badge and then call us and let us handle it," Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said.



Photo Credit: NBC6.com

Dad Killed Toddler and Mom: PD

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Note: Authorities are scheduled to hold a press conference in this case shortly. We will stream it live in this story.

The man accused of killing his 2-year-old daughter and her mother had recently been involved in a child support case and was ordered to pay $600 a month, News4 has learned.

Daron Boswell-Johnson was charged with murder Wednesday morning in the deaths of NeShante Davis, 26, a beloved elementary school teacher, and the couple's daughter, Chloe Davis-Green.

The mother and daughter were shot outside their townhouse at about 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Boswell-Johnson was confirmed to be Chloe's father in December through a DNA test conducted as part of a paternity suit, sources said. He was then ordered to pay Davis $600 a month in child support.

Prince George's County Interim Police Chief Hank Stawinski said Wednesday that Boswell-Johnson has admitted his involvement in the killings.

Davis and her little girl were found shot in the parking lot of their townhouse in the 1300 block of Palmer Road in Fort Washington, Maryland, after a witness said he heard yelling and then multiple gunshots.

Davis' body was found right away, next to her car, Prince George's County Police said. The injured toddler then was spotted through the tinted windows of her mother's blue Chevrolet.

Chloe was rushed to a hospital, where she died.

Davis was a second-grade teacher at Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights, according to the school's website. She worked for years as a teacher's aide at the school and was in the middle of her first year teaching after recently graduating from Bowie State University.

Davis likely was headed to drop Chloe off at day care and then head to work when they were shot, school officials said.

A friend of Davis' for more than a decade, Melonie Parker, said at an emotional service Tuesday night that she was heartbroken.

"Who can shoot a child?" she asked. "How could you look a child in their face and shoot a child? I don't understand."

Davis' mother, sister and other loved ones mourned their deaths at Community Temple Bibleway Church in Cheverly, Maryland. Members of the crowd prayed and cried together.

"I'm going to miss her. And Chloe," the toddler's grandmother, Carolyn Turner, said, unable to speak any longer.

Investigators searched for evidence at the crime scene for hours Tuesday, with the county's acting police chief and chief prosecutor on hand to ensure nothing was overlooked.

"This is absolutely unacceptable in any civilized community that a child should be killed," Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said Tuesday. "We are absolutely enraged."

On the scene, Stawinski told reporters Tuesday that investigators were pursuing viable leads.

"This is a profoundly sad day, and my prayers go out to the family for a crime that, frankly, shocks the conscience," he said.

A parent at the school where Davis taught, Tiffany Byrd, said Tuesday afternoon she was preparing to speak with her son about why he would not see his teacher again.

"I have no idea how he's responded knowing she won't be back now and he'll have a new teacher," she said.

"Miss Davis was awesome. She really, really helped him to improve a lot," Byrd said, saying her son had struggled at another school but earned all As and Bs since entering Davis' class.

The father of a student at the school wiped away tears as he spoke about Davis.

"It really hurt me. The school called this morning," Erik Hines said. "Miss Davis was an excellent teacher."

Counselors were available at the school Tuesday to help students and staff members coping with the tragedy.

Attorney information for Boswell-Johnson was not immediately available. 

Stay with NBCWashington.com for more on this developing story.


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'Eat It Up!': Hartford Yard Goats Release New Jingle

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Eat it up! The Hartford Yard Goats already have the name, the uniforms, the colors and the swag and now the capital city's new Minor League baseball team has released its new jingle. 

Yard Goats Assistant General Manager Mike Abramson introduced the team's new theme song exclusively on NBC Connecticut News Wednesday morning.

"Once you hear it, you'll not be able to unhear it," Abramson said. 

"These Cats Rock" from the team's New Britain Rock Cats days has become "Eat It Up" for the team's rebirth as the Hartford Yard Goats. 

"Eat it up! Eat it up! The Hartford Yard Goats. Eat it up. Eat it up. Eat up the good times, eat up the fun. The Hartford Yard Goats. We're number one. Come on our with your family. Come on out with your friends. Yard Goats baseball. The fun never ends. Eat it up! The Hartford Yard Goats. Eat it up! Eat it up. Oh yeah!"

L&R Productions in Glastonbury wrote and produced the fresh Yard Goats jingle, given very little instruction beyond making it up-beat with a little more of a rock and roll edge. The team's staff was impressed with the first recording the production company pitched and found the words stuck in your head. 

"The first time I heard it, I remembered the words. And that's what we want people to do. Because this will be in our TV commercials, our radio commercials, so we want people to hear it and associate it with the team," Abramson said.

The jingle is different than the "Let's Go, Yard Goats!" hype song the team already released, produced by Yard Goats fan and bassist/guitarist Matt Deis, formerly of nationally-recognized bands like CKY and All That Remains, and YUCKY Studios. It's put to video and is meant more as a stadium pump-up song, whereas "Eat It Up" gets the marketing message across, according to Ambramson. 

"This is a little bit more for radio, for TV, for catchy, summer fun and that sort of thing. The hype song pumps you up and this delivers the marketing message," Abramson said. 

Speaking of the stadium, the project is back on track after the announcement of the delayed completion date and scheduled to open May 31, according to Abramson. The Harford Stadium Authority met with the developers, ownership group and Yard Goats general manager on Tuesday to talk about the progress. Ambramson said "everybody feels very comfortable with the speed and the process and we're just laser-focused on our opening date."

Until then, you can eat up the new jingle on our website or on the Hartford Yard Goats YouTube channel. You can also follow the Yard Goats on Twitter (@GoYardGoats), Facebook and on the team's website, yardgoatsbaseball.com.

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NBC Connecticut is the media partner of the Hartford Yard Goats. 



Photo Credit: Hartford Yard Goats

Suspect in Fiery Meriden Crash Held on $62,500 Bond

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The man accused of fleeing the scene of a fiery crash in Meriden and prompting a manhunt on Tuesday is being held on $62,500 bond. 

Mark Martin was with a female passenger when police pulled him over for having the wrong plate marker on his red Hyundai Elantra, police said. When the officer approached the car, Martin drove away and hit a police cruiser in the downtown area of Meriden, according to police.

The officer was not hurt, but was unable to restart his car so he called radioed others units to go after the Elantra, according to Meriden police. Responding officers found that Martin was involved in a fiery crash with a silver BMW on Grove and Foster Street and ran from the scene, police said.

Meriden undercover detectives found Martin at his home at 4 Geer Ave. and he surrendered. 

He was charged with two counts of evading responsibility, misuse of plates, operating under suspension, not having insurance, stop sign violation and disobeying the signal of an officer, Sgt. Darrin McKay told NBC Connecticut. 

Martin also had two outstanding second-degree failure to appear warrants out of Bristol, police said. 



Photo Credit: Kevin Alperen/Meriden Police Department
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Fire Closes Wallingford Chinese Restaurant

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A Wallingford Chinese restaurant will be closed for the near future after a kitchen fire caused serious damage early Wednesday morning. 

Firefighters responded to Hong Kong Chinese, at 822 East Center Street, after receiving a call from an alarm company around 3 a.m. reporting a smoke detector in the building going off. When crews arrived, the restaurant's kitchen was ablaze and it took about half an hour to extinguish the fire. 

The restaurant was empty at the time of fire, so no one was hurt and firefighters were able to contain the flames to the restaurant.

The strip mall has eight to 10 businesses and the owner of the nearby Fran’s Bakery was working overnight and he was the first one to realize what was happening.

“I ran outside and I looked, I said, ‘Oh my God, the place is just billowing with smoke,’” Larry Hurowitz said.

Smoke did make it into some of the businesses near the Chinese restaurant, so firefighters opened the doors to those stores and said the fire didn't spread beyond the kitchen into the restaurant.

"The fire was contained to the kitchen area and it didn’t get into the restaurant portion," Wallingford Fire Chief Richard Heidgerd said. "So, luckily there’s not a lot of structural damage to the building. That’s what’s allowing the other occupants to be in business today."

Mike's Barber Shop, however, will not be opening today.

"I’ll be open tomorrow, once we get this place cleaned up," Mike Falcigno, the owner of Mike’s Barbershop, said. 

Hong Kong Chinese won't be opening any time soon due to the damage, according to fire officials. 

"We were able to keep the power on, which is important to the protection of food, and again, with the clearance of the health department, that allows them to open for business," Heidgerd said.

The health inspector for Wallingford also responded. 

Fire investigators believe the fire was electrical and started in the kitchen, but the exact cause is not yet known.

The road the fire was on was closed earlier in the morning, but it has since reopened. The scene has cleared. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Man Faked Cancer and Accepted Thousands in Donations: Police

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A Wallingford man is accused of faking that he had terminal brain cancer, then accepting more than $20,000 people donated at several benefits held in his honor.

Wallingford police started investigating on May 5 when someone reached out to them and said Tyler William Tomer, 29, of Wallingford, didn’t have cancer and was defrauding the community by taking the donations.

Police said someone posted the complaint on Facebook and then several other complaints came in, which prompted an investigation.

Police later determined that Tomer didn’t have cancer, as he claimed.

There were benefits not only in Connecticut, but also in Kansas, and Tomer collected at least $22,680.80, according to police.

Tomer was charged with first-degree larceny and first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community. 

He is currently being held on a $250,000 court set bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

It's not clear if he has an attorney.



Photo Credit: Wallingford Police

Gang Held 'Hunting Expeditions': PD

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Authorities in New York City have accused 18 alleged gang members of going on "hunting expeditions" where they cruised around Brooklyn looking for rival gang members to shoot, paralyzing a 60-year-old woman grocery shopping in one instance.

Members of the "No Love City" chapter of the Folk Nation street gang were charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder, in a 76-count indictment unsealed Wednesday, NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton and Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced.

"These defendants are not just crew members but part of a criminal enterprise that has been responsible for a significant amount of the violence which has plagued the Flatbush and Canarsie sections of Brooklyn over the last two years," Bratton said.

Thompson and Bratton said 16 of the 18 suspects have already been arrested. Two members of the gang — which operated primarily along Flatbush, Newkirk and Ditmas avenues — are still on the run.

Authorities allege the gang members would go "riding out" in the Canarsie neighborhood, looking for members of the 100 Cloccs’ gang — a chapter of the Crips — and two other rival gangs in retaliation for the shooting death of a 17-year-old No Love City member.

"Many neighborhoods were affected, from Flatbush to Canarsie to DUMBO to Park Slope to Carroll Gardens to Bushwick," Thompson said. "These guys were just walking down the street they were driving in cars shooting and killing people."

During one of the so-called hunting expeditions, Bratton and Thompson said, No Love City gang members shot and killed a 25-year-old rival gang member.

In another instance, they shot a 60-year-old woman who was grocery shopping, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. She told NBC 4 New York she was glad the alleged gangsters were off the streets.

"I'm glad to hear they're off the street and I hope they stay off the street," she told NBC 4 New York.

In a third instance, one gang member was caught on surveillance cameras shooting at several people in the courtyard of a Brooklyn apartment building as children ride bicycles and scooters nearby. 

In all, authorities say the gang members were implicated in more than 30 shootings across Brooklyn.

After the expeditions, authorities allege, the gang members would brag about their exploits on social media, taking credit for attacks and killings. They also used Facebook to orchestrate future attacks, authorities said.

Amid the violent rides, another No Love City member, Richard "Money Bags" James, was shot to death at a comedy club in West Hollywood, California, hours before "Blue Collar Comedy Tour"comedian Ron White was set to take the stage. A few days after the Oct. 14 shooting, members of the gang went to DUMBO and got in a shootout with a rival gang.

Thompson and Bratton also said the gang members were accused of a litany of other crimes between 2013 and January of this year, including robberies and the sale of contraband in prison.

One of the arrested gang members was accused of leading cops on a high-speed chase that ended in a three-car crash after refusing to stop for police who tried to pull him over for texting while driving.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Rick Santorum Set to Make 2 Announcements

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Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is set to make two announcements Wednesday night, his top strategist tweeted.

The news comes amid reports that Santorum is ending his 2016 White House bid. 

"I can confirm the stories just breaking that @ricksantorum will be on national tv tonight making two very big announcements," John Brabender tweeted. 

Brabender told NBC News that Santorum will be making "two big announcements on Fox News tonight."

"I cannot confirm or deny that he’s dropping out of the race," Brabender added. 

Fox's Greta Van Susteren tweeted that Santorum will appear on her program at 7pm. ET. 

The former Pennsylvania senator who won Iowa in 2012 and finished third in South Carolina, placed 11th out of 12 candidates in the Iowa caucus this year. 

Santorum's account retweeted a message on Feb. 1 that he was set to start a 46-county tour in South Carolina but his campaign had not sent any follow up tweets about his plans. 

Santorum, 57, served in the U.S. House from 1991 to 1995, and the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007.

In the Senate, he worked on welfare restructuring, achieved a federal ban on a type of late-term abortion procedure and supported the war in Iraq, along with aggressive moves against terrorists abroad. Santorum now says the war was a mistake.

His conservative views on issues like gay marriage and abortion came under scrutiny when he ran for his fourth term in 2006, as did the fact that he spent little time in his Pennsylvania home. Democrat Bob Casey dealt him a crushing defeat.

Since leaving office, Santorum has been on the lecture circuit, penned several books and served as CEO of a Christian movie studio.

Santorum and his wife, Karen, have seven children.



Photo Credit: AP

Five-Mile K-9 Track Yields Drug Arrest

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A State Police dog tracked down a suspected drug dealer after a search that spanned about five miles in Norwich.

Quinton Rosario, 20, of Willimantic, was driving on route 2 in Norwich when his car broke down on Tuesday at about 5 p.m. When someone approached him to help, he ran from the car, which turned out to be stolen.

A State Police K-9 unit tracked him for five miles, ultimately locating him where he was hiding in the woods in Franklin off of Route 32. 

Rosario had more than an ounce of marijuana on him that was pre-packaged to be sole, state police said. 

State police also discovered there were two Willimantic warrants out for his arrest for various assault, unlawful restraint and burglary charges. 

After state police also learned that the car he was driving was stolen, they additionally charged him with larceny, on top of charges of illegal sale of a controlled substance, illegal sale of a controlled substance by a non-drug dependent person, possession of a controlled substance of less than four ounces of marijuana, interfering with an officer and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Experts Left With More Questions About Zika

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For decades, the Zika virus has seemed harmless. But with more birth defects in Brazil and the possibility of transmission through sexual contact, health experts are now trying to answer more questions about the illness.

So far, only two men have been detected with the virus in their semen, NBC News reported. Because the infection doesn’t last long, the possibility of it being transmitted is only likely when a person is infected.

But experts aren’t sure what’s making the virus adapt, because testing for Zika is very difficult. Health officials are now going around Brazil to collect blood samples of those actively infected to test them and save them to see what happens later.  



Photo Credit: Getty Images

East Hartford Man Speeding on Highway Arrested for DUI: Police

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A driver weaving and speeding on I-84 was arrested early Wednesday for driving under the influence, State Police said. 

Right after midnight on Wednesday morning state police observed a grey 2004 Saab 9 series weaving in and out of lanes while going westbound on 1-84. When a patrolling officer tried to pursue the Saab, the driver accelerated to over 85 miles per hour, according to the arrest report. 

The officer saw the car get off at exit 36. 

At around 1:40 am, the officer saw the Saab with the same license plate on I-84 going eastbound by exit 46. Again, the Saab sped up and had to swerve to avoid an accident on Oak Street, State Police said. 

The driver, Elias Guzman, 24, of East Hartford, faces 12 different charges, including reckless driving over 85 mph, disobeying signal of an officer, operating under the influence and failure to drive in proper lane on the highway.

His presumed passenger, Ivelisse Alvarado-Perez, 29, of Hartford is accused of interfering with an officer. 

Guzman was unable to post his $5,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on Feb. 4.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Poisoned Water: Flint's Contamination Crisis in Photos

Warm Weather Poses Challenge for Ice Fishing

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Kicking off February with temperatures in the 50s and 60s has been less than ideal for people itching for winter weather, especially for those who count on freezing conditions during the winter season.

“It’s pretty much terrible for ice fishing,” Fran Fournier, a Berlin resident itching to get out on the ice, said.

And Connecticut Outfitters in Wethersfield is feeling the impact. The sport shop that specializes in fishing gear typically amps up in the winter, helping people prepare for ice fishing trips and tournaments.

“Purchases of ice fishing gear are down, and bait is down a little bit as well,” Gary Brummett, the owner of the store, said.

Temperatures have been so warm that the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection had had to cancel several fishing tournaments and other outdoor cold weather events. And those who refuse to let the weather bring them down, have to head elsewhere.

“A lot of our anglers are very hardcore very serious and they’re willing to travel,” Brummett said. “My customers are heading north to still get on ice.”

Another place you won’t be getting on the ice is in Ansonia.

“We have to postpone our skating rink. We were gonna open up today, but with the unseasonable temperatures that we have outside being so high, the water did not freeze, so we postponed it until the 10th of February,” Mayor David Cassetti said.

The highly anticipated portable rink takes at least 15,000 gallons of water to create a safe skating surface. But, despite the warm start to winter, Brummett isn’t giving up yet. “You know what? It’s New England. It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

Another concern with the warm temperatures is the safety of any ice you might think about getting on.

While it might look frozen, any melting and refreezing of the ice compromises its durability and can be extremely dangerous.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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