A police officer’s day is often filled with crime, but there are also times when an officer saves the day and has the opportunity to be part of something positive.

That is what happened in Groton early this morning.  

When Sgt. Mark Tourville was dispatched to a Cutler Street home just after 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, he found a 23-year-old woman who was just about to give birth, according to the Day of New London.

Within a minute, the woman gave birth to a baby boy. After mom delivered, members of the fire department helped cleaned the baby, and mom and baby are doing well at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital.
 
Sgt. Tourville told the Day that this is the second baby he has helped deliver in his two-decade long-year police career, so he knew that the woman was in labor.

“It's nice to be able to put a smile on someone's face and to know that you did something for them," he told the Day.

 

Guests at the Ramada Inn in Windsor Locks were evacuated for about 45 minutes on Thursday morning because of a strong smell of gas.

The incident was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the hotel, which is located near Bradley Airport. Gas was found to be leaking from a kitchen appliance in the back of the building, according to officials.

After the leak was contained, fans aired out the area.

Yankee Gas metered the hallways and hotel rooms, determined that the levels were normal and the guests were allowed back inside.

What caused the leak is not known.

If you had any doubts that rookie running back David Wilson being the biggest story on the Giants after his three touchdowns against the Saints last Sunday, they were put to rest when the Thursday papers went to press. 

It doesn't really matter which paper you read with your coffee or at your desk when you're supposed to be working because all of them have variations on the same Wilson story. Members of the Giants are concerned that Wilson's going to hurt himself if he continues to celebrate his touchdowns with a backflip. 

Justin Tuck said he's told Wilson several times to save it for YouTube, Tom Coughlin refused to comment about them without giving much indication he's a fan and Wilson said that Jerry Reese said he can keep doing it as long as he doesn't get hurt. Eli Manning, who doesn't seem to worry about a thing, is the only Giant quoted who thinks it's just fine that Wilson keeps doing it. 

We imagine he's not the only one, although you can understand keeping quiet in the face of such a full court press on the other side of such a meaningful issue. After all, Wilson scored three touchdowns last week so he's clearly going to be scoring that much every week. 

We're also waiting for the "won't someone think of the children" style slams of all the NFL players who dunk the ball over the crossbar when they score touchdowns. They could roll their ankle after landing, after all, and that might wind up knocking them out just as easily as Wilson could hurt himself by failing to complete the backflip. 

Injury concerns are somewhat reasonable, even if Wilson is just as reasonably telling everyone to "relax" about something he's been doing for 20 years without incident. Concerns raised by Gary Myers of the Daily News, however, are patently ridiculous.

Myers touches on the injury issue, but he really thinks Wilson should stop doing backflips because they anger opponents who think they are being shown up by the celebration. Per Myers, such defenders are going to be more likely to dish out cheap shots to Wilson than they would if he had a less exuberant way of marking his touchdowns.

We got to wondering what kind of touchdown celebration might meet with Myers' approval. Something understated like doing a salsa dance while your home stadium (and certain television networks) blast salsa music to accompany your moves would obviously be out, right?

Wrong, unless we missed Myers' long screed about how awful it is that Victor Cruz shows up defenses by dancing all over the end zone when he scores a touchdown. We're still waiting for that cheap shot against Cruz, one that won't come since years of watching touchdown celebrations have pretty much made everyone other than crotchety commentators just fine with it. 

You know what actually is insulting to Giants opponents, though? Assuming that three touchdowns against a bad team is somehow predictive enough of how the rest of Wilson's season will go rather than using the 12 weeks where he was barely a factor as a guide for how things will play out when the Giants play against defenses that understand stopping the offense is their goal.

If the Giants are fortunate enough to keep getting touchdowns from Wilson, how he celebrates them should be of as much concern to them as the price of coffee in Istanbul.  

Josh Alper is also a writer for Pro Football Talk. You can follow him on Twitter.

Driving just got a whole lot easier for Apple lovers.

Late Wednesday, Google announced it revamped its map app for the iPhone, which will now do what drivers had hoped it would do on its original – and much loved – version: Talk you through your route with a robotic voice, instead of forcing you to look down in your lap for the turn-by-turn directions.

"We started from scratch," said Daniel Graf, mobile director of Google Maps, adding that there is no animosity with Apple over this issue. "On maps, we have a friendly relationship."

The news is huge for iPhone users, who love their phones but had hated the navigational options provided to them by Apple.

In mid-September, Apple had dumped the first-version of Google Maps from its phone.

Then, of course, there was the Apple Maps flap. Apple's app is still so bad that just this week the Australian police issued a warning to folks not to use it, calling it "life threatening," because the system was steering people looking for the city of Midura into a sweltering dessert 44 miles from their desired destination. And closer to home in San Jose – just a stone's throw from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino – the Apple Maps app still says that if you're at the corner of Branham and Meridian avenues, you are at Valley Christian High School, when you are actually at Branham High School.

Heads rolled at Apple because of it. Last month, Apple fired Richard Williamson, the manager responsible for the ridiculed app.

And even before that in September, Tim Cook issued a rare apology. Some say it was the worst moment in Apple history.

Apple is still working on its own maps app, and there's no telling when it may come out and how good it might be.

But for now, iPhone users can download the new Google maps on their phones and expect to get to Grandma's house in time for dinner with no wrong turns.

Google Maps is free for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's not yet available for the iPad, but you can download the phone version onto the tablet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Middletown police arrested two local men accused of trying to pass off deodorant as crack cocaine during a controlled drug buy on Tuesday.

Police began investigating on Tuesday night when someone told police that he’d found a note under his door that he suspected was a veiled attempt to sell drugs.

“If you need party supplies call …,” the note said, according to police.

So officers sent a text to the number on the note.
“Got ur note …. I need party supplies im @ Middletown now,” the text from police said.

When officers received a response, they set up a meeting to purchase 3.5 grams of crack for $150, police said.

At 6:10 p.m., police went to the Wesleyan Inn Suits and set up surveillance, according to an arraignment report.

It was then that police saw Robert Griffin, 37, who looked nervous when he approached a room, police said.

Police approached, ordered him on the ground and Griffin pulled a baggie from the ground.

According to a police report, Griffin told officers it contained deodorant that he was representing as crack and planned to sell for $150.

Should the buyer big a big guy who discovered that he was buying a hygiene product instead of narcotics, Griffin would run, he said, according to police, and if the buyer was small, he would “stomp him.”

Griffin was charged with misrepresentation of substance as controlled substance; sixth-degree larceny, pretense or promise; and two counts conspiracy. He was held on $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 21.

Police also charged Matthew Miramant, 32, of Middletown.

Griffin told police he thought that Miramant had gone to his house to get deodorant after the text came in. They planned to pass it off as crack and Griffin would wait in the car as the transaction happened, according to police.

Miramant, whose driving privileges are suspended, admitted to dropping Griffin off at the motel, but claimed that he did not know what for, according to police.

When police searched Griffin’s car, they found heroin and drug paraphernalia in the car and two samurai swords in the trunk, police said.

Miramant was held on $25,000 bond and charged with operating under suspension, use of drug paraphernalia, misrepresentation of a substance as a controlled substance, weapons in a vehicle, larceny, conspiracy and attempt to commit a crime.   He is also due in court on Dec. 21.


 
 

Two men have been sentenced to 20 years for a destructive night in Litchfield County, that included a fire at a popular curling club, and the sentencing became a platform for the dangers of synthetic marijuana. 

Matthew Carey, an Army Reserve private from Torrington, and Kyle Majewski, a machinist from Sandisfield, Massachusetts, have been sentenced to 20 years, suspended after 10, and five years of probation for setting two fires within a two-hour span, police said.

The bail commissioner at the Bantam courthouse previously said both men have substance abuse issues and that was central to statements made during sentencing.

Prosecutors painted Majewski as the leader.

Majewski said his behavior is unacceptable and he takes full responsibility for his actions and plans to use prison time to become a better person.

There is no excuse, he said, and cannot blame drugs and alcohol.

Majewski's father spoke in court about the dangers of synthetic marijuana, alcohol and energy drinks. 

His art teacher also spoke, and said he told students to stay off synthetic marijuana.

In court on Thursday, Carey turned to the victims, read a letter of apology for his actions and asked that they someday accept his apology. He said he understands their anger toward him.

His defense attorney said it reveals the "underlying core of what he's about" and asked for a sentence in the 5 to 10-year range.

The first fire was discovered at a house on Wheeler Road around 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19. No one was home at the time.

As firefighters were finishing up extinguishing the first fire, a state trooper was answering a call from a homeowner who reported intruders in her home and spotted a second fire at the Norfolk Curling Club on Golf Drive.

The entire front end of the building, which is where the hockey rink is located, was in flames when firefighters arrived, Norfolk fire spokesperson John Barbagallo said.

“The wood frame in the front, the metal frame of the hockey rink did experience quite a lot of damage,” Barbagallo said.

Around 1:30 a.m., the next morning, a man called state police to report he had been a car crash on Mountain Road in Norfolk, about a mile from the fire at the Curling Club and the location of the home break in.

Troopers responding to the crash said the two men in on car were connected to the two fires, as well as the break in of the home on Westside Road.

The teens were charged with arson in the second degree, criminal mischief and burglary.

The judge on Thursday said he wondered how much longer the destructive spree would have gone on should the crash not have happened.

The judge said on Thursday that the town of Norfolk will never be the same, he has never seen anything like this before and the two men will never be able to pay the victims back.

When Steve Murdock sees statistics that show the huge streams of people moving between California and Texas every year, he is reminded of an old country song.

“Detroit City” -- with the refrain of "I want to go home” -- was written half a century ago about a Southerner who finds work in the auto industry and longs to return. Murdock, a former chief demographer for the U.S. Census Bureau, thinks the song remains an apt analogy.

To this day, seemingly disparate parts of the country share deep, historic ties based largely on one’s ability to attract people from the other. The tide of people ebbs and flows according to economic opportunity and family bonds.

“This sense of going and coming goes way back,” said Murdock, a Rice University sociology professor. “They are long-term patterns, and once they’re established, the flow back and forth continues.”

Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of California and Texas.

The thousand-mile migratory route between the two states is among the country’s busiest. For many decades, the movement benefited California, the state traditionally associated with American opportunity and growth. But now the trend has flipped, with California hemorrhaging people to its Southern rival, and Texas taking a lot more than it gives.

Since 1990, 3.4 million more people have fled California for other states than vice versa,  according to a study by the Manhattan Institute. (Because births continue to outpace deaths, and more people continue to move from other countries, California's total population grew to over 37.5 million last year.) California led all states in total outward migration during that period, while Texas was the second most popular destination state, edged only by Florida.

California's steep drop includes a net loss of nearly 250,000 people to the Lone Star State. Last year, 59,000 people left California for Texas, while 37,000 did the opposite, according to the census.

Lately, the trend has been exacerbated by the state’s very different experiences with the recession.

The downturn was bad for everyone, but California took it on the nose. It suffered disproportionately from the home-mortgage crisis. Many of its local governments are on precarious financial footing; a few have declared bankruptcy. Its unemployment rate has outpaced the nation's.

Texas, on the other hand, weathered the recession relatively well, analysts say. Taxes are lower than California’s, regulations are fewer, the cost of living is cheaper, and so are wages.

“The differential has resulted in us continuing to grow economically while California has slowed,” said Lloyd Potter, Texas’ state demographer.

In addition to the traditionally strong sector of oil extraction and refining, the chemical and natural gas industry are doing well, as are the commodities and financial services sectors, Potter said.

William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, analyzed data covering a three-year period that spanned the recession and found that while California sputtered, several Texas metropolitan areas ranked near the top of the country for attracting young college-educated job seekers.

"These were basically down years for most places, but the Texas metros have attracted these highly prized migrants," Frey said.

The upshot, prominent Waco economist Ray Perryman points out, is an unemployment rate of about 6.6 percent, below the national average. And while Texas has regained the same amount of jobs it lost during the recession, California has recovered only about a third.

“The big reason for the migration from California to Texas is quite simple: jobs,” Perryman said in an email.

With the influx of people inevitably come growing pains, usually in the form of crowded schools and increased infrastructure needs. But Texas doesn't seem to be complaining much about that these days.

Instead, they sound confident that they’re state will continue to prosper – and keep luring Californians looking for a better way of life.

There was only one person filling out forms at the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center in East Haven.  He hadn’t yet filed with the Small Business Administration or FEMA, even though Sandy was a month and a half ago.  The SBA says he’s not alone.

“We have sent out over 8,500 applications, and … maybe 10 percent have returned, so we know there’s a lot of people who have not returned their application,” said Barbara Berry, a public affairs specialist with the SBA.

Those affected by Sandy only have until December 31st to file applications and the SBA is worried that many people won’t hit their deadline. 

“We know there are a lot of people out there who may not be aware of it. They’re getting caught up in the holiday time now.  We’re close to it, we’re two, three weeks out,” said Berry.

The SBA is urging people to file now and come to a Disaster Loan Outreach Center if they need help. 

The SBA doesn’t just help businesses, it also helps renters and homeowners get low-interest loans, ranging from $40,000 to $200,000. 

“They also can come here if they’ve already applied,and all they need to do is a signing of their loan, that can happen here,” said Berry.

SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers are located at:

Beach House

150 Cosey Beach Ave., East Haven

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Groton Senior Center

102 Newtown Road, Groton

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The lawsuit landlords filed against New Britain's city government over proposed fees of $150 per unit helped city officials draft a new ordinance with lower fees they call "bulletproof," but an organization that represents landlords said they plan to continue to fight.

“We’ve listened to hundred of landlords and we’ve negotiated with attorneys,” the mayor said in a prepared statement, according to the New Britain Herald. “I believe we have struck a fair compromise.”

Instead of $150 per unit, landlords who live out of town would pay $50 per unit for the first three units they own, $40 for the next 10 and $35 for additional units, up to a cap of $12,000 per year.

On Thursday afternoon, Connecticut Property Owners Alliance released a statement saying angry landlords have been calling and sending e-mails feeling that the alliance "sold out" to city government, but that was not true.

“We are committed to support New Britain's landlords and tenants alike and believe the court will see this our way and void this ill-conceived ordinance. This is a total misrepresentation of the facts, I am sure that this press release was intended to make this situation go away. We are not going away. We will continue moving forward with the lawsuit and plan on letting Mayor O’Brien know that the battle is far from over, as there will once again be a huge show of support at New Britain City Hall next Tuesday night at 7:00 PM for the next scheduled public hearing on this matter.” Bob DeCosmo, President of the Connecticut Property Owners Alliance, said in a statement.

Mayor Tim O'Brien said the fees would go toward hiring an inspector to cite landlords who don't maintain their properties and add to the city's problems with blight. 

He said there will be a public hearing on the proposed ordinance before it passes the city council by the end of the year.  It is to take effect on April 1.

"It's still a kick in the ass," said Hunter Mantera, a landlord who lives in New Britain, "but it's lighter. For $50 a unit, it's not worth fighting tooth and nail," he said.

“We, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the city, are not a part of this compromise. In fact, the Mayor only made a deal with one landlord, Pebblebrook Apartments. I know this because their attorney, former Democratic Party chairman Ed Marcus, sat in our offices last week and said he was re-drafting the ordinance to suit his client. The press release issued from the city was false and premature,” Eric Polinsky, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the city and an executive for the Carabetta Companies, said.

Foley Carrier Services LLC has relocated its operations from Glastonbury to a 17,000-square foot space in the South Armory of Colt Gateway in Hartford, Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement on Thursday. The move brings 110 jobs to Hartford immediately, with plans to add up to 70 new jobs within three years.

“This is great news for the city and marks a solid step towards transforming the historic Colt complex into a thriving retail, office, and commercial center,” Malloy said. “Foley Carrier Services is a Connecticut success story in its own right, and will help us attract additional business and investment to the South Armory building.  We welcome Foley Carrier and their employees to the capital city.”

Foley Carrier Services was founded in 1992 and provides drug and alcohol testing and other services to help transportation providers remain in compliance with Federal Department of Transportation regulations. The company has more than 30,000 clients. In 2010, Foley was acquired by BirdDog Solutions, Inc., a third-party logistics provider.

“Our relocation to Hartford is a textbook example of the good things that can happen when city and state officials work cooperatively with private companies and neighborhood groups,” Joel Sitak, BirdDog and Foley CEO, said. “This iconic site offers many advantages—including easy access to public transit, and is the ideal location to attract the high-potential people we need, particularly Spanish bilingual applicants to serve our burgeoning Latino customer base. We hope to hire up to 40 new associates over the next 12-15 months.”

The state Department of Economic and Community Development is providing a $500,000 grant to Colt’s developer for leasehold improvements.

“My desire to honor the Colt legacy is no secret. Foley’s move to Hartford represents yet another remarkable step forward in converting Hartford into an accessible, sustainable option for businesses. This is another example of effective public/private partnerships that enable economic growth and job creation. I look forward to working with established partners —and new friends—to continue the ongoing renaissance of Connecticut's Capital City,” said Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra.


 

Staten Island families who lost their homes during Sandy are getting a chance to start over in Connecticut.

Close to a dozen families got a first look at their new homes in New Milford on Thursday.

Faith Church, along with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, are providing temporary housing for those displaced by the storm. The homes won't cost the families a dime and they will be fully furnished.

"I am so touched," Denise Kuper, a displaced Staten Island resident, said. "I can't even explain it really."

Kuper and her mother will move in to one of the new homes. The lost everything when Sandy struck. They've been living in a shelter ever since.

"I feel like we are going to have a new start and I am just blessed," Kuper said.

Deborah and Bob Rassi also lost their home and have been living in a shelter since Hurricane Sandy. Bob held on to a lamppost for 13 hours as the water rose around his State Island home.

"That night I didn't think I'd make it because it was very very cold and I couldn't swim," Bob Rassi, said. "It didn't look good."

The Rassis were overcome with emotion seeing where the new house would be. He never thought he'd be in this possition, knowing he almost lost his life.

"It's an unbelievable end to a story," Rassi said.

Many of the families have been living in shelters since the storm hit and emotions ran high as they toured the homes on Thursday.

In all, 25 modular homes will be put on land owned by the church and families will be able to move in starting Dec. 23.

Donations are still needed including housewares and furniture. You can donate through Faith Church and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Dr. Henry Lee, a well-known forensic expert who has investigated some of the most notorious criminal cases, will become the lead forensic consultant to the New Haven Police Department.

The police department will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on Friday at police headquarters about the appointment.

Among the cases Lee has investigated are Martha Moxley, Laci Peterson, O.J. Simpson, the abduction of Elizabeth Smart, Jon Benet Ramsey, Sacco-Vanzetti, the Lindbergh baby and more.

Lee runs the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven and teaches students how to investigate crime.

Because of a high number of flu cases, the Backus Health System is putting temporary visitor restrictions in place and limiting public use of its facilities beginning Friday. This is being done to protect patients, visitors and staff.

According to a statement released on Thursday, the Backus lab reports nine positive flu tests in the past week, and 14 overall.

Several emergency department patients have also had flu-like symptoms but were not tested, according to Backus.

The restrictions are in effect for all Backus locations where there are patients and visitors and include no visitors under the age of 18. They are asking people of all ages not to visit the hospital or its offsite locations if they have flu-like symptoms, such as cough, sore throat or a fever.

“This is a very important precaution for us to take in order to keep our patients safe,” Peter Shea, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, said. “Hospitalized patients are particularly vulnerable to the flu, and we must protect them at all costs.”

The public can still obtain flu shots at the Montville and Colchester Backus Health Centers. Backus and the Uncas Health District are partnering to offer free flu shots to the public. To schedule a vaccination, call 860-823-1189, ext. 123.

Officials from Hartford Hospital said the flu season started earlier than usual, but they have not seen a jump in cases. As of last week, they had four to five cases.

The flu season usually starts around Christmas, but it started around Thanksgiving this year, officials said.   

St. Francis has had a few cases and expects to see a jump soon.
 

Every week during the season, we’ll scout out the Jets' next opponent. This week, that opponent is the Tennessee Titans.

Perspective can be a funny thing. 

Watching the Jets on a weekly basis can make it hard to believe that any team in the league could be in such dire straits as the ones Rex Ryan is trying to navigate. And then comes a stretch of the schedule that puts the Cardinals, Jaguars and TItans on the opposite side of the field. 

All of a sudden, the Jets' problems don't seem quite as bad. They might be lacking a quarterback, but their situation is still somehow better than the ones in Arizona or Jacksonville. Tennessee could be in the same dark place as those teams if Jake Locker doesn't wind up panning out. 

Titans owner Bud Adams put the entire team on notice after a 51-20 loss to the Bears earlier this season, saying that everyone from the front office down to the 53rd man on the roster would be evaluated. They dumped their offensive coordinator a few weeks ago, and coach Mike Munchak could be on his way to dead man walking status with just a little bit more of a push in the losing direction. 

Their offensive line has been blown apart by injuries and they've lost five games by this season by more than 20 points. And they're riding a three-game losing streak that's seen them turn the ball over 10 times into this Sunday's game. 

It is, in short, a bad football team. More importantly, they are a worse football team than the Jets. 

That leaves them with very little reason not to continue this improbable and almost surely quixotic quest for a playoff spot with a win this weekend. Here's a few of the guys trying to stop them from getting it. 

Chris Johnson 2.0 - Johnson isn't back to the halcyon days of 2009 when he ran for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he's a lot closer than he was in a disastrous 2011 season that led people to wonder if the Titans might cut him. That's probably off the table, although Johnson's numbers have cratered with the offensive line falling apart and he might not have the space to hammer away at the Jets this weekend.

The Locker Uncertainty - Because of rookie quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, there's an expectation that young quarterbacks will hit the ground at full speed in the NFL. That's not what Locker has done and the Titans merely hope to see him pick up some momentum before the end of the year so they know they haven't committed to a player going nowhere. 

Defensive Indifference - The Titans' best defensive player might be linebacker Akeem Ayers, the kind of versatile player who tends to do everything well enough without excelling at anything in particular. Players like that are a lot more useful when they aren't the best you're putting on the field. 

Breakout or Breakdown - When Kenny Britt is healthy and out of police custody, he's a game-changing receiver of the highest order. It happens much too rarely for the Titans to count on him as a building block for the future, which means its just another hole on a team with way too many of them as it is. 

Josh Alper is also a writer for Pro Football Talk. You can follow him on Twitter.

One man is dead and a woman is in the hospital after a shooting and standoff in Rocky Hill.

Police responded to a call in the Westage Condominiums on 73 Carillon Drive Thursday night.

Once they arrived they found the female victim suffering from a gunshot shot wound to the stomach and the chest.  A man barricaded himself in the home where he held police at bay for nearly three hours.

Police later found his body in the condo.  Detectives aren't saying how he died.

A neighbor said there were between 25-30 police cars in the neighborhood from several towns including Manchester, Enfield, Glastonbury and Wethersfield.

Some neighbors were evacuated while others were advised to stay in their homes until the situation was under control.

Police confirmed that the Capitol Region Emergency Service Team as well as SWAT responded.

We will have more information as it becomes available.

Detectives are investigating a possible home invasion on Yale Road Thursday night ,according to state police.

It is still an active scene. We will have more information as soon as it becomes available.

Suffield police have charged an Enfield man with first degree sexual assault and first degree unlawful restraint.

William F. Baskerville, 53, of Enfield, was processed on an  arrest warrant on Wednesday and held on $20,000 bail, according to police.

Police said the arrest was made after a lengthy investigation.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at Enfield Superior Court on Thursday.

Police said no further details of the case are being released due to the nature of the case.
 

Police have canceled a Silver Alert for Jeleea White, 12, of West Haven. She has been found safe, police said.

Until Wednesday night, police said she had last been seen standing at the bus stop on Wednesday morning and she never arrived at Saint Lawrence School.  

Jeleea has been reunited with her family, according to police.

An unknown man attempted to carjack three different victims in the same shopping center parking lot in southern California on Thursday, officials said.

According to police, the carjacking attempts happened around 2:50 p.m. in the parking lot of a Target store in Oceanside, Calif.

In the first attempt, the suspect allegedly approached a woman as she was exiting her car. He showed her what she believed was a knife and ordered her back into the vehicle. She got inside and drove away, leaving the suspect behind, police said.

The man then immediately approached another woman exiting her car in the lot. Police said he brandished a handgun and told her to get back inside her car.

The victim ignored the suspect and ran into the Target store to report the attempted carjacking.

Police said the man then approached a third woman in the same parking lot who was getting out of her car. He attempted to steal her vehicle at gunpoint, ordering her to remove the club device from her steering wheel and leave her keys in the car.

The victim complied, removed the club and left the keys in the car. Before walking away, she activated some sort of kill-switch that disabled the ignition.

The man tried to start the car but instead became locked inside the vehicle.

He smashed through a window to get out and fled the scene, police said.

None of the three victims was injured.

Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to immediately locate him. He remains outstanding.

Officers describe the suspect as a white male in his 40s to 60s with a thin build and "leathery" skin. He was carrying a black backpack and was described by witnesses as transient in his appearance. He wore a blue denim jacket, pink shirt and blue jeans.

The investigation is ongoing.