More than 200 animals have been found in deplorable conditions at a home on Newtown Turnpike, Weston officials said.

According to Mark Harper with Weston Animal Control, snakes, birds, turtles and tortoises were all discovered. He said many were already dead by the time they arrived.

"I’ve never seen anything like this before in his life. It's indescribable," said Harper.

Officials said reports of a foul smell is what brought them to the two story shed. Police said the home’s owner is cooperating with their investigation. They believe the animals came from his former business, a pet store in New York that is now closed.

Rescue groups are assisting the animals that are still alive, but it is a difficult task. Harper said  the animals are now evidence, so the organizations they go to will need to keep them.

"Who knows how things got out of control like this," Harper said. "It’s very sad."

With water levels much lower than usual, navigating the Connecticut River can be tricky for boaters. 

Rob Sutton’s boat is docked at Meriden Motor Boat Club in Portland., but he said lately, water levels on the Connecticut River have been less than ideal.

"Yeah it is low," said Sutton of Deep River.

Because the Connecticut River is a tidal river, levels can vary several feet per day.

“When it gets low tide these boats over here they can’t even get out because there’s not enough water, they’re stuck in the mud actually,” said Sutton.

Just down river, Jeremy Borbeau was working at Yankee Boat Yard and Marina, the family business.

He said said it’s all about being aware of your surroundings.

"If you’re not looking out you could hit your prop or mess up your drive with sticks and logs. You know we even saw like a legit full tree like 70 foot tree floating down the river two weeks ago," said Borbeau.

What he described was a sight similar to Sutton’s.

"You’ll see some logs sticking out. They’re stuck on the sand bars because of the low water and they get stuck there," said Sutton.

With cooler temperatures and Fall on the way next week, the 2016 boating season in Connecticut is drawing to a close. 

"Hopefully we get rain," said Sutton about next Spring.

Sutton said the water is so low he lost his sunglasses last weekend in the water at night. He went back the following weekend and he found them. He could see them from his boat.

Donald Trump's abrupt acknowledgment of President Barack Obama's U.S. birthplace has brought his lengthy history with conspiracy theories, rumors and innuendo back into the spotlight, NBC News reported.

Whether Trump publicly renounces birtherism — and his trolling event on Friday was far from definitive — is largely beside the point. That's because the broader issue isn't just the question of how he feels about Obama's birthplace, it's the way inflammatory and false claims have defined his political career.

Trump has changed his position on a lot of things over the years. But if there's one consistent thread, it has been his seeming obsession with conspiracy theories that touch on race, religion or ethnicity.

A Hillhouse High School football player is recovering after being shot in New Haven Thursday night and school officials said they will be holding an emergency meeting today.

Derrick Smith, 18, was shot in the stomach and the thigh, according to police.

Two New Haven police officers were investigating another incident, a domestic, on Elsworth Avenue when they heard gunshots nearby around 7:15 p.m.

The officers ran to the scene on Stanley Street, where they found a car with several bullet holes through a window.

As officers continued to search the scene, they found Smith in the back yard of a home on Stanley Street. The officers also found a gun nearby, police said.

Smith was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Police believe four men were involved in the shooting. The officers did see two men running from the scene and found a second weapon in the area where the men took off, according to police.

Police said they detained one person.

New Haven Public Schools released a statement, saying they will hold an emergency YouthStat meeting.

Supt. Garth Harries said the school department's main concerns are to ensure all students in the school are safe, to continue to support and communicate with Smith's family and help students cope with this incident.

"Last night, District and school administrators were on site with the family to represent the district's ongoing support through the situation," Harries said in a statement. "We immediately initiated YouthStat because this is when our at-risk students need that kind of tailored engagement the most. Today and over the weekend we will continue doing all we can to support the student's family as well as the community, and we're hoping for a safe and speedy recovery."

Two Fort Worth police officers who were shot while responding to a suicide call at a home Friday evening are expected to recover, the department says.[[393792971,R]]

The call came in at about 8:30 p.m. from a home on the 3800 block of Wharton Drive.

Police spokesman Officer Marc Povero said the arriving officers, identified as Officers Xavier Serrano and Ray Azucena, found a person in a back bedroom unresponsive from a gunshot wound. They were informed that a witness to the shooting was located in a shed in the backyard, so they went to make contact with that person.

When they reached the shed, someone began shooting at the officers from inside the shed, Povero said.

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Serrano was struck several times in the upper body and was rushed from the scene in critical condition. Azucena was hit once in the chest, but was protected by his ballistic vest and only has minor injuries, Povero said.

The officers managed to return fire into the shed. SWAT officers later surrounded the shed, firing tear gas canisters toward the shed in an effort to make contact with the person inside. Just before midnight, Fort Worth police confirmed that the person was found deceased inside the shed.

Whether the person was killed by the officers in the exchange of gunshots or by a self-inflicted wound is unknown at this time. The person's identity has not been released.

[[393796931,C]]

Serrano is an eight year veteran and Field Training Officer with FWPD. Azucena is a newly commissioned officer, graduating from the Fort Worth Police Academy in July. 

Serrano underwent surgery at John Peter Smith Hospital, and as of early Saturday morning, is listed in stable condition. Azucena was released from the hospital overnight.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald and Mayor Betsy Price spoke to reporters at JPS Hospital and asked for prayers for the injured officers.

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Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change.

The gunman in a shooting that left one woman dead and four others injured, including two police officers, was carrying a "rambling" note that spewed hatred for law enforcement, police said in the hours after the late Friday shooting.

"Clearly, we have a lot of unasnwered questions," Police Commissioner Richard Ross said in West Philadelphia, where the gunman was shot and killed after an ambush and rampage. "This is a completely bizarre situation."

Ross said it all started around 11:20 p.m. when a man targeting police officers walked up to Sergeant Sylvia Young's police car located at 52nd and Sansom streets and opened fire on the officer.

Ross said other officers in the area heard the shots and responded, chasing the lone gunman. As the suspect fled, Commissioner Ross said he shot four other people. A man and a woman from a nearby bar were shot, then a man and a woman sitting in a vehicle at 49th and Sansom were also shot.

The woman died early Saturday morning and the man remains in critical condition.

The officer, Young, a 19-year veteran, is in stable condition after being struck in the arm and her protective vest. Ross said Young, who works in the 22nd District was shot eight times. 

Another officer shot, Eddie Miller of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department, was also in stable condition. 

According to the Commissioner, the suspect was chased into an alley near 48th and Sansom streets where Miller was also shot by the suspect.

In this alley, the commissioner said, is where the suspect was then shot and killed by police.

Both Young and Miller, who previously was a sergeant with the Philadelphia Police Department, were up and talking early Saturday morning and recovering at Penn's Presbyterian Hospital.

Ross later revealed that a letter was found at the scene that police believe was written by the suspect. Ross said the letter contained ramblings about his hatred for police officers and named a specific parole officer as a target.

Ross said officers would patrol in pairs following the incident.

The night skies will be a little brighter than usual as this month will see a full harvest moon overhead.

According to National Geographic, the harvest moon can be seen starting Friday, Sept. 16.

The additional light from the harvest moon gives farmers more time to reap their crops.

This full moon, also known as the penumbral eclipse, happens when the Earth, moon and sun all fall in a straight line, according to Space.com.

This harvest moon is the last eclipse of its kind until 2024, National Geographic reported.

Viewers can expect to best see the slight darkening of the harvest moon with binoculars or telescopes.

However, the harvest moon can be viewed by looking for contracting light and dark regions. Moon gazers can also expect to see the Tycho crater in the bottom-left quadrant of the moon, according to Space.com. 

A live webcast of the harvest moon can be watched via Space.com on Slooh.

Neither Marty McFly nor Dr. Emmett Brown emerged from the stainless steel DeLorean spotted in Santa Monica this week after a police pursuit.

A car that looked like the iconic fictional automobile-based time travel device that shuttled McFly "Back to the Future" drew the attention of onlookers Thursday morning as police pulled over the driver and arrested him for carjacking.

The drama began when Santa Monica police received a call of a carjacking in the 2600 block Ocean Front Walk, police said in a news release.

The carjacker led police on a short chase before crashing into a car about a half a mile away.

Police pinned the car in and took the man into custody.

The carjacker suffered minor injuries and he was booked charges of carjacking, reckless evading of police, and he had an outstanding traffic warrant, police said.

Maybe the driver just wanted to see what happened when he hit 88 mph. But he didn't get a chance to leave any fiery tracks.

A suspected gunman was in custody Friday night after an Amtrak train with nearly 200 people on board was evacuated and all Metrolink service through the Chatsworth Station was halted after authorities received a report that a man with a gun was seen aboard the Pacific Surfliner.

The man was arrested after tear gas was deployed on the train, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau.

The Metrolink Operations Traffic Center, which controls rail traffic through Chatsworth, received a call at 6:19 p.m. from a passenger on the Pacific Surfliner that a gunman was seen aboard the Amtrak train, according to Ramon Montenegro of the sheriff's Transit Policing Division.

Deputies at the Chatsworth Transportation Center at 10040 Old Depot Plaza Road "secured the train and began evacuating the passengers," Montenegro said. "Then we notified our Special Enforcement Bureau and Amtrak police who are both rolling to the scene."

Craig Shulz of Amtrak told City News Service all 187 passengers and five crew members aboard San Diego-bound Amtrak Train 790 "safely left the train and remain inside the Chatsworth Station."

However, Montenegro said one man remained on the train, citing information from deputies on the scene.

Montenegro said deputies on the scene are interviewing passengers to find out what they saw. All Metrolink traffic through the area had been stopped, he said.

A Norwich man is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old, police said. 

An investigation found that Kevin J. Gardner, 25, had been sexually assaulting a girl over a nine years, police said. 

Gardner was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. 

His bond was set to $50,000 and he's expected to appear in court on Sept. 19.

Tim Sullivan is a carpenter by trade, and his company, Warrior installations group takes on jobs of all types. Last winter, the company landed its biggest project ever, it was hired to install millwork at the new Hartford baseball stadium.

On site, Sullivan said the work came fast and furious. As his crew finished one task, the general contractor, Centerplan Construction asked them to do another, including the gray Hardie Plank that defines the stadium's exterior.

"We were here for just over 3 months. At the high point, I had just over 20 carpenters here every day, myself included," said Sullivan.

Sullivan said he trusted that as the scope of work expanded, he would continue to get paid. But when the City of Hartford threw Centerplan off the job in early June for missing a May 17 deadline, the work stopped and so did the flow of money to the subs. He said he's owed close to 400 thousand dollars is still owed.

Sources tell the Troubleshooters more than a dozen subcontractors have submitted six-figure invoices that have not been paid.

The roofing contractor at the stadium, recently filed a lawsuit against Centerplan and Arch Insurance, the surety guaranteeing completion of the project. The suit claims the company is owned nearly 700 thousand dollars for work performed and invoiced at Dunkin Donuts Park.

The Troubleshooters reached out to Centerplan, and the company's attorney provided a statement relating to the architect's recent report criticizing the quality of the work at the stadium:

"First, if there was so much bad work out there, why did the architect approve payments - which it did every time we asked - without reservations. The architect certified construction was complete in an acceptable manner as late as May 30, 2016. Second, if there is that much poor work out there as they allege, then Centerplan cannot pay subcontractors. The city cannot complain subcontractors are not paid and also contend so much work is defective."

Tim Sullivan said no one ever brought up any issues with the quality of the work his company did at the stadium. For a small business owner, waiting for three months for hundreds of thousands in payment is no easy task. Sullivan said last month he met face to face with a representative from Arch Insurance and said they approved his invoices.

"Politics aside, whatever it is: we were hired to do a job, we do the job and we expect to get paid."

The Troubleshooters reached out to Arch several times by phone and e-mail, but the company did not respond.

Sullivan is working as an independent contractor on smaller jobs to keep his head above water. He's still unsure about what's next...

"What it going to do to the business? Is it going to put it out? I seriously considered folding the business, but I just can't quit," he said.

Even so, when work resumes at Dunkin Donuts Park, Sullivan is hoping that Warrior Installations Group will be brought back to see the job through to the end.

"Military mindset, mission has to be accomplished. That's why we want to get back here. I want to finish the job, sense of pride. When I bring my kids to a Yard Goats game and said 'we built that!"

It's been 10 days since Hartford city leaders announced that Arch Insurance has agreed to take over the project, but there is still no signed agreement. Sullivan believes the ball park would have been done in 30 days if they'd kept working at the same pace. Now, with time needed to restart the job and the lack of urgency, he thinks there's about two months of work to complete to get Dunkin Donuts park ready for baseball. The City of Hartford did not respond to our requests for comment on any money that’s still owed subcontractors.

A device exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, Saturday morning as about 5,000 runners were set to participate in a 5K Marine charity race, authorities said.

The explosive device went off in a garbage can on D Street and Ocean Avenue about 9:30 a.m. along the race route, police said.

No one was injured in the blast, according to the Ocean County prosecutor's office.

The third annual Marine Semper Fi 5K race to benefit the MARSOC Foundation was expected to start at about 9 a.m., but was delayed because of late sign-ins, authorities said.

The race was canceled after the explosion.

The device was composed of three pipe bombs, only one of which went off, leaving plenty of physical evidence for investigators to examine, federal officials said. 

It appears the device was set off by a timer, officials said, but it is not known what explosive material was in the pipes.

Runner Adam Carswell of Toms River, New Jersey, told NBC 4 New York he saw the smoke rising from the garbage can after the explosion. 

"It was a big puff of smoke, fairly large," he said.

"It makes me very angry that this could happen in a sleepy little town like Seaside Park after Labor Day," he added. 

Lauren Rispoli, a Seaside Park resident, said she was in bed when she heard the blast.

“I thought it might have been an explosion of some sort or a sonic boom,” she said.

Rispoli said the explosion will not rattle the spirit of people in Seaside Park.

"We will support this run again next year here or wherever they choose to do it," she said. "Even if it’s next year, we’re not afraid, we’re not going to let this stop us." 

A number of law enforcement agencies responded to the scene Saturday, but the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office will be the lead investigators in an effort to better coordinate the probe across units, an FBI spokesperson said. 

The MARSOC Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises money to support "active duty and medically retired MARSOC personnel and their families as well as to the families of Marines and Sailors who have lost their lives in service to our Nation," according to the groups website.

Donald Trump says he is "shining a national spotlight" on Americans killed by immigrants living in the United States illegally and vowed to deliver justice to the families of the victims.

"What is the acceptable number of lives to be lost in the name of illegal immigration? Let me tell you what that number is: zero," Trump said Saturday at anti-illegal immigration group's conference in Houston, Texas.

Trump spoke at the Remembrance Project first annual luncheon, an organization founded to advocate for tougher immigration laws in honor of those killed by people in the country illegally.

The Republican nominee touted a strong message against crime by undocumented immigrants, painting a picture of an America with porous borders and rampant crime done by those who flow into the country illegally.

"Every day our border remains open, innocent Americans are needlessly victimized and killed. Every day sanctuary cities are left in place and innocent Americans are put in harms away. Everyday we fail to enforce our laws," Trump said.

But the reality and the numbers don't match Trump's narrative. According to the Wall Street Journal, a report from the Immigration Policy Center found that illegal immigrants are less likely than the native population to commit violent crimes or be incarcerated.

Trump told the group most "politicians ignore your cries, but I never will," vowing to "deliver justice to every American family and victim" if he wins the presidential election."

Trump also falsely claimed that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton wants to abolish America’s borders and misrepresented her immigration policy as effective amnesty for all.

"She didn’t want to get involved,” Trump said, stating that Clinton, as secretary of state, refused to take forceful action and get countries to take back their citizens who committed crimes in the U.S. and needed to be deported. The crowd responded chants of "lock her up."

Members of the Remembrance Project have repeatedly appeared on stage with Trump at rallies across the country and he has made its cause part of his platform. 

According to the group's website, The Remembrance Project brings national attention to "under-reported killings, and is 'connecting-the-dots' through its initiative, the 'Stolen Lives Quilt'– a visual memorial dedicated to slain Americans, who would otherwise still be alive and with their families, if only current laws were enforced.”

Two teens were injured in a shooting in New Haven Friday evening.

New Haven police said they responded to the area of Winchester Avenue and Lilac Street around 6:35 p.m. when officers reported hearing gunfire. When they arrived they found two juvenile victims.

One victim, a 14-year-old male, was shot once in his leg. The other, a 15-year-old male, was shot in his left ankle. The injuries are not life threatening.

Witnesses reported a white car, possibly a Dodge Intrepid with New York plates, may have been involved.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting should contact New Haven police at (203) 946-6304.

Two families were displaced by a cooking fire in Manchester Friday.

Manchester fire officials said they were called to 10/12 Server Street in Manchester around 8 p.m. When they arrived all of the occupants of the house safely and firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the first floor.

One of the residents reported that he woke up to the smoke alarm sounding and found a fire in his kitchen. He tried to put it out but was unsuccessful. At that point, he got everyone else out of the building and called 911.

Firefighters knocked down a heavy fire in the kitchen. One person was taken to the hospital as a precaution for minor respiratory issues. No injuries were reported.

Fire officials said the fire is believed to have been caused by unattended cooking on the kitchen stove. There was moderate fire damage to the kitchen of one unit and moderate smoke damage to the rest of the home. The building department ruled the home uninhabitable for the time being.

The Red Cross is assisting both families with alternate housing. Four adults live in the building.

Groton City police have charged a man in connection with eight burglaries across the area in the last month.

Henry Rogers, 43, of Groton, faces charges of first-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, and various larceny charges.

Police said over the course of two weeks, six residences and two businesses were burglarized. Items such as jewelry, cash and credit cards were stolen. Investigators identified Rogers as a suspect, police said.

As Groton City police investigated, New London police arrested Rogers in their city for a similar crime. He was arraigned and held on a $150,000 bond for that incident.

Rogers was presented with the Groton arrest warrant on September 14. He is currently being held on a $185,000 bond.

Police are searching for a suspect involved in a New Haven home invasion.

In a release to the media, New Haven Police Officer David Hartman said that officers responded to a disturbance on Weybosset Street just before 11 p.m. on Friday.

According to police, when officers arrived they learned that 46-year-old Prudent Bute had been assaulted by a man who had forced himself inside the residence.

The intruder, who was identified by the victim only as “Mark,” was armed with a handgun which Bute wrestled away from him, the victim reported.

The suspect then fled the scene, leaving the firearm behind.

Bute described “Mark” as a 27-year-old male standing at around 6-foot-1 and weighing approximately 230 pounds.

Police said that this may be the second attack conducted by the suspect against Bute. The first incident is reported to have happened around one month ago at the same New Haven address, according to police.

Bute was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

New Haven Police Detectives are investigating.

A 63-year-old man was seriously injured when he was struck by a truck in Norwich Friday.

Police said the accident occurred near the intersection of Washington Street and Water Street around 7:26 p.m. The male pedestrian was hit by a vehicle traveling north on Water Street. The victim was transported to Backus Hospital with serious injuries. He was later flown by LifeStar to Hartford Hospital. Police said at last check he was in critical condition.

The victim has not been publicly identified.

The driver of the truck did stop and was not injured.

The Norwich Police Accident Reconstruction team is investigating. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police at (860) 886-5561 ex 6.

Sixty-five Connecticut service members have paid the ultimate price fighting for freedom since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On Saturday, people ran in remembrance of those military members. The Run for the Fallen, now in its seventh year, saw participation double.

Some ran one lap, others ran all eight, which added up to 65 kilometers, in honor of the 65 fallen service members.

Deb Smith volunteered for the first time, in honor of her son Tony D’Agostino.

“He gave the ultimate sacrifice. I’m so proud of him, and it’s the life that he chose to serve his country,” said Smith.

He was killed in action in 2003, when his Chinook helicopter was shot down over Fallujah.

"This is very emotional for me today. These are the moments that I’m happy that people have not forgotten, the soldiers who have passed, but it’s emotional for me because I still miss him,” said Smith.

The Connecticut Run for the Fallen moved to the Connecticut Trees of Honor Memorial this year, which was dedicated after the last lap of the run.

“We run for the 65 fallen from Connecticut and the memorial is a living memorial for the 65 so it just made sense,” explained the run’s assistant director Barbara Michalek.

Before each of the eight laps, the names of Connecticut service members killed since the September 11th terrorist attacks were read out loud.

“The focus is on the fallen and supporting and remembering them,” said Michalek.

The time on the clock didn’t matter as runners, carrying American flags, paused in front of each hometown hero’s picture to pay their respects.

It was an overwhelming moment for Smith as she stood next to her son’s marker greeting the runners.

“It just felt so special, that he’s not forgotten. That he’s in everybody’s hearts, not just mine,” she said through tears.