Maryland police said a woman accused of climbing through a McDonald's drive-thru window, helping herself to a beverage before stealing food and money in a viral video has been arrested.

Jessica Marie Cross, 27, was arrested Thursday of charges of burglary and theft, Howard County police said.

According to police, Cross tried to place an order in the drive-thru lane at a McDonald's in Columbia on Nov. 5 at 1 a.m., but the business was closed. 

Surveillance video shows Cross reaching through the unlocked window, grabbing a cup and pouring herself a beverage. Moments later, she climbs through the window and walks around the kitchen of the restaurant. 

During the 35 minutes she was in the fast-food restaurant, police say she stole $1,400, a purse, food items and Happy Meal toys. She was also seen on video attempting to disable the surveillance system and wipe her fingerprints from several surfaces. 

After the video of the McDonald's burglary went viral, police say they received several tips identifying Cross as the suspect. Cross turned herself in to police Thursday morning. 

Investigators are working to determine who might be eligible for a portion of the $500 reward that was offered for information in the case. 

A driver hit the SUV that was transporting the lieutenant governor in Vernon this morning but no one was injured, according to police. 

Police said the crash was on Route 30, at the intersection of East Street, around 8:09 a.m. 

According to police, a 43-year-old Hartford woman was going east on Route 30 toward Tolland and tried to turn left onto East Street and turned into the path of a state of Connecticut Ford Explorer the governor’s security detail was driving in the right lane of the westbound side of Route 30, police said. Lt Governor Nancy Wyman was a passenger in the Ford Explorer. 

Police said the impact pushed the Explorer into a Jeep that was stopped in traffic and the Jeep and Ford Explorer were damaged and needed to be towed, but no one was injured.

Wyman announced Thursday that she will not run for governor in 2018 and said during a news conference about that decision that she is fine after the crash and will be talking to local officials about a light in the area where the crash happened.

Police issued an infraction to the driver who hit the SUV for failure to grant the right of way. 

Radio host and Fox News panelist Leeann Tweeden held a press conference Thursday detailing her experience on a 2006 USO tour with then-comedian Al Franken and alleged that Franken forcibly kissed her during a skit written by Franken. She also said he groped her while she was asleep, providing photographic evidence. Sen. Franken has issued an apology and is open to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. Tweeden accepted Franken’s apology.

Scattered showers are moving through the state and a few of the showers are producing pea sized hail. 

Check out Interactive Radar which shows the showers moving across the state.

Check the forecast to help plan your Thanksgiving travel.

If you have any weather photos you want to share you can email them to us at ShareIt@NBCConnecticut.com.

Most of the shower activity is out of here by 5 p.m. with gradual clearing this evening. 

The 16th annual Operation ELF promotion is underway and they are looking for donations to help ease the financial stresses military families face because of the call to active duty.

There are more than 400 Connecticut National Guardsmen in the deployment cycle and hundreds of other Connecticut residents serving in other branches of the Armed Forces. Operation ELF is a way to give back to those families and support those who have family overseas during the holidays.

Organizers are looking for unwrapped toys, gift cards for grocery and department stores, seasonal services like snow removal and home maintenance, and monetary contributions.

There is also an Adopt-A-Family program, where potential donors are matched with a family in need to provide things like winter clothing, food, help with household expenses and gifts for children.

"Operation ELF is a great opportunity to show our support to our military and their families,” said Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman. “More 400 Connecticut National Guardsman are in the deployment cycle, and we have even more residents serving with other branches of the Armed Forces who are overseas this holiday season as well. We are grateful for their service and want to do whatever we can to make this time just a little bit easier for them. They have given us so much, this is our turn to give back," said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman in a statement.

Operation ELF kicks off during the holidays, but donations can help support military families throughout the year.

Donations may be dropped off from November 16, 2017 through December 12, 2017, Monday through Friday, during normal business hours at the following locations:

Army Aviation Support Facility
Bradley International Airport
85-300 Light Lane (off Route 75)
Windsor Locks, CT 06096

William A. O'Neill Armory
360 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105

Armed Forces Reserve Center
90 Wooster Heights Road
Danbury, CT 06702

New London Armory
249 Bayonet Street
New London, CT 06320

Gift cards or financial contributions may be made through the Connecticut National Guard Foundation and mailed to:

Connecticut National Guard
Office of Family Programs
360 Broad Street
Hartford, CT 06105

If you’re considering a large donation or need to schedule a drop-off outside regular hours, please call 800-858-2677.

For more information, visit the Operation ELF website.

Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore held a news conference surrounded by religious leaders Thursday after two more women accused him of pursuing them when they were teenagers.

A new crime-fighting tool is available to download in the Town of Hamden.

The Hamden Police Department has rolled out a new tip-411 mobile app for residents to connect with officers. "Tip lines just a few years ago involved a telephone number and you’d leave a message on an answering machine," Hamden Police Chief Thomas Wydra said.

Now, residents can submit tips, pictures and videos through the app to help keep the town safe.

"The sky’s the limit," Chief Wydra said. “But what we need is for people to download the app and be interactive with us."

"I think it’s a great idea because sometimes you’re not near a regular phone," said Margaret Ariori from Hamden.

In addition to the crime map feature to keep the public informed, Wydra said the best feature of the new mobile app is that tips can be submitted anonymously.

"That is huge," he said. "That draws in folks who might not otherwise give us tips, young people in schools who might have information about a student who is planning something, who might be distressed."

Wydra said the first complaint came in through the app after 11 p.m. Wednesday - about underage drinking. "Sounds legitimate," Wydra said. "Something we can work on."

After NBC Connecticut told Andrea Lewis about the new Hamden Police app, she decided to download it on her phone.

"I think it makes the connection easier instead of having and go in and report and probably wait," she said. "It’s right away that you get notified and could help for a lot of families and parents."

Chief Wydra said he hopes the app can help investigators solve crimes, like finding out who is responsible for this week’s homicide of 18-year-old Leeandre Benton near the Farmington Canal Trail.

"This is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about tip 411 and the way people can give us information if they have any on that tragedy," he said.

The free Hamden Police tip app is now available to be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play stores.

Thursday volunteers at Bristol Hospital put together hundreds of food packages that will make their way to needy Connecticut families for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Cans of food are arriving by the truckload in Bristol. Staff members from Bristol Hospital’s WIC program open boxes and sort the items.

"We’re putting bags together for Thanksgiving," said Erika Tate.

This food will go directly to local pregnant women, mothers, and their children.

Inside the bags are everything from cream of mushroom soup to hot chocolate. The families will also pick up gift cards to get a turkey from stop and shop.

"It feels amazing that we’re able to do this for them," Tate said. "To see the smiles on their faces when they come in. It’s really heart-warming."

"I love helping out the less fortunate. I think we all should try to do it sometime," said volunteer Darieyn Tate.

WIC is a federal program, but these Thanksgiving meals come from nearly $10,000 in donations from medical staff at Bristol Hospital.

"It’s a little more than usual and we’re able to give 200 families Thanksgiving meals this year," said Melissa Dickau, the WIC program director at Bristol Hospital.

"By the end of the month, funds are kind of tight for them so if we can take just one thing off their mental plate. They don’t have to worry about how they are going to put together their meals," she added.

Thanks to these donations, the families can focus on giving thanks this year.

Comcast has approached 21st Century Fox and expressed interest in an acquisition of some of Fox's assets, sources tell CNBC.

Comcast is interested in the same set of assets that Disney approached Fox about earlier this year.

CNBC reported last week, citing sources, that 21st Century Fox has been holding talks to sell most of the company to Disney, leaving only an entity focused on news and sports.

A Comcast-Fox deal would have the same regulatory issues that Disney would have in acquiring the Fox assets, the sources said.

Comcast owns the parent company of this station NBCUniversal.

Instead of driving to different locations for different appointments, children and adults with autism now have a comprehensive care clinic in Hamden where they can get all the services they need.

"Awareness needs to be brought to autism and to be able to have this clinic it opens so many doors for so many people," Chery D’Argento said.

D’Argento’s 13-year-old son Michael is already enjoying the sensory room at the Marne Street Clinic operated by the Clifford Beers Clinic.

"The bubbles, the speakers," Michael said. "It just makes this whole room beautiful."

"Michael can have a meltdown at any moment usually week now the triggers sometimes," his mom said. "To have anything with sensory will calm them."

D’Argento’s son was diagnosed with autism when he was six-years-old. She said the treatment he had received through the Clifford Beers Clinic the past four years has made a big difference.

"Most people who have children that are not on the spectrum they go to dance they go to boy scouts cub scouts," she said. "We go to therapy."

The new clinic in Hamden will offer physical, mental and social health services under the same roof.

"What we wanted to do is create one center where a family could get both pediatric consultation or neurological consultation as well as behavioral health and some care coordination or social work they may need," Clifford Beers CEO Dr. Alice Forrester said. "So it is really one-stop-shopping we’re looking at."

The center has been almost three years in the works leading up to Thursday’s ribbon-cutting and grand opening, Forrester told NBC Connecticut.

"It is for both children, young children and adolescents and adults, so we’re really holding folks through the lifespan," she said.

D’Argento looks forward to coming back to the Marne Street Clinic with her son.

"For a parent," she said, "it's incredible, the services that they’re going to offer, you can’t get in one spot. Now you can."

Forrester said she expects families from across the state to utilize this one of a kind center for individuals on the spectrum.

Community activists and family members gathered in New Haven Thursday to rally in support of a father of three facing a deportation order.

Nelson Pinos says he came to the US looking for a better life. Now he’s hoping he’ll be allowed to stay.

Pinos is from Ecuador and has three children ages 15, 12 and 5. He tells NBC Connecticut he is the sole provider for his family and worked for the same company for 15 years – until he was let go two weeks ago due to his undocumented status.

"I'm afraid my kids are going to lose everything because I'm their support. I don't want them to struggle like I did when I was a kid back home," Pinos said.

He says he's been paying his taxes for the last 17 years and has no criminal record. His children are US citizens. On top of that, he’s tried multiple times to obtain legal status, but was denied.

"Normally prior to this administration given his equities and given the fact he's a homeowner doesn't have a criminal record he would have been able to stay without a problem," Pinos' attorney Yazmin Rodriguez said.

"I just hope immigration understands that this is wrong," his 15-year-old daughter Kelly told NBC Connecticut. "Why are they separating families? This is so wrong. I want my daddy here and I hope there is a miracle and I hope they understand he can’t leave. I beg them to not deport him. We need him here."

ICE says Pinos received a final order of removal in 2015 by a federal immigration judge. He is set to leave the country by the end of the month. They released the following statement:

"Nelson Pinos-Gonzalez, a citizen of Ecuador, was issued a final order of removal in 2015 by a federal immigration judge. As a measure of discretion, Mr. Pinos-Gonzalez has not been placed in ICE custody, but does check in periodically at an ICE office. He has provided proof he intends to comply with his removal order. Should he fail to depart as scheduled, he will be listed as an immigration fugitive and arrested when encountered, at which time ICE will carry out his removal."

Pinos’ family hopes he’ll receive a stay of removal before it comes to that.

The multi-million dollar Route 34 Downtown Crossing Project in New Haven is crossing into its second phase, and people in New Haven are watching carefully. 

"I’ve seen a lot of awesome improvements," said Maya Szatai who works in the area.

According to Mayor Toni Harp, the $45 million project is rebuilding the Route 34 expressway into a system for urban boulevards, reconnecting city streets and reclaiming portions of land long underdeveloped.

"This project will connect Temple Street through Route 34 to the other side. We’ll have buildable land there. There will be covered bicycle paths there, as well as walking paths that weren’t there before," she said.

The three-phase project, paid for by federal, state and local funds is now crossing into "phase two." The focus, the mayor says, is to connect the Hill neighborhood with downtown. The long split city is slowly coming together.

Phase two will reconnect Orange Street to South Orange Street while phase three will bring together Temple Street and Congress Avenue. All phases are giving special consideration to pedestrians and bike riders.

"It’s so important for people to know that you don’t have to use your car all of the time," said Mayor Harp.

It is also important for the public to give their input on the project. The City of New Haven is holding a meeting on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gateway Community College where residents can come express ideas and concerns.

For more information on the project, visit the website.

The town of Stonington is looking for ways to make its many boat-related businesses as successful as possible.

Approximately 40 Stonington businesses are either marinas or boat-related. Those businesses were invited to a special meeting Thursday afternoon so town officials could learn about the issues that marinas are facing, and what they can possibly do to fix that.

Lack of parking in town was one issue several marinas shared.

"They need a place to put their boat. But they need a place to put their car when they get here," said Paul Goetz, owner of Stonington Marina.

Many marina owners talked about lack of street parking or even temporary parking to get a boat into the water.

Some said that competition with Rhode Island also posed a challenge.

"I’m dealing with boat sales mostly, and engine sales, because the state of Rhode Island has no sales tax on these items and I’m right on the state line. I have an issue because people will go over there and buy product," said Tiger LeBelle, owner of Connors & O’Brien Marina.

He already switched over some product and brought in some alternative brands in hopes of selling goods not offered in his immediate area.

Then, there’s zoning. Each marina owner who spoke had a different obstacle. Like Stanley Cardinal, who said he has 65 slips but can only allow about 44 boats.

"People are happy to have their boat in the water and be here, and go fishing, and go to the beach, and go to the restaurants and everything," Cardinal said, who wants to be able to use all of his slips.

The Planning Department will formally put together everything that was talked about at Thursday’s meeting to be reviewed by the Stonington Economic Development Commission.

Vice Chair Kevin Bowdler realizes addressing the feedback is mutually beneficial.

"The more valuable marina properties are and the better managed they are, then the more people will be coming to Stonington," Bowdler said. "They’ll be spending more time here, they’ll be spending money at restaurants, at shops, maybe buying houses and coming to live here sometime in the future."

Costco has dropped plans for a store in East Lyme.

The wholesale warehouse halted plans to open a big-box store at the Gateway Commons site right off Exit 74 on Interstate 95, according to First Selectman Mark Nickerson.

The developers of the property plan to market the property for another retail tenant, Nickerson said, adding plans have been in the works to build up that site for about 15 years.

"When this project is built, there’ll be a significant number of retail jobs available. What also might be built in the space, especially given the economy of retail right now, might be an office park. And that will bring in a different set of jobs," Nickerson said.

The master plan is to have one big box store and other mixed-use and retail in the area, Nickerson said.

Earlier this year, Costco dropped plans for a store in Branford.

NBC Connecticut reached out to Costco for comment and have not yet heard back.

Konica Minolta has announced plans to move out of its facility in Windsor.

In an email a company spokesperson confirmed the news to NBC Connecticut.

"Yesterday, we announced the beginning of our plans to transition our Windsor, CT facility. In the next 6-18 months, we plan to integrate employees into various existing Konica Minolta locations, including maintaining a location in Connecticut. Employees are being retained and have the option to relocate."

The company did not specify how many employees would be impacted.

An employee who spoke to NBC Connecticut said workers were told in a meeting yesterday the company would be consolidating its headquarters to its New Jersey location. They later received an internal memo detailing more about the move.

In the internal memo, Konica Minolta employees learned Wednesday that the company’s Windsor facility will be moving into the Ramsey, New Jersey location in the next 6 to 18 months.

Members of the business community are already bracing for a potential economic impact.

Jane Garibay, the executive director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, said the company’s potential departure will be felt both economically and throughout the community.

Garibay said the has been a big supporter of local organizations, and a more than two-decade run in the city included hosting a small business expo. 

"We just held our business expo there and that's where our little businesses get to go set up during lunch and Konica Minolta every year hosts one and their employees go down they end up using our businesses," Garibay explained.

For members of the Windsor business community like Michelle Gaudet, the move may mean less traffic on her morning commute but a potential economic hit for the city down the road.

"Definitely hurt the economy in this area because we all go out lunchtime and kind of visit shops and things like that," Gaudet said.

Konica Minolta told employees the move is to stimulate growth and create career opportunities for employees and community in New Jersey. The company told NBC Connecticut a formal announcement will come out in the next few weeks.

New England residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against Eversource Energy and AVANGRID Inc. alleging that the companies fixed prices through a years-long scheme that affected millions of people.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Boston, claims that 14.7 million people in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island were affected by a "unique monopoly" between Eversource and Avangrid Inc. that caused overcharges of $3.6 billion.

The complaint states that the companies intentionally manipulated the market to create shortage conditions and raise gas prices.

Local companies run by Eversource and AVANGRID include Yankee Gas, Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas.

The lawsuit claims the scheme spanned from 2013 to 2016 and raised rates by at least 20 percent.

"As a result of Defendants’ covert interference with the natural operation of competitive forces in the interdependent natural gas and electricity markets, New Englanders were overcharged by billions of dollars on their electric bills,"the complaint states.

The lawsuit demands $3.6 billion and a trial by jury.

Last month the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel announced that it was working with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) into an investigation into alleged market abuse and price fixing by Eversource and AVANGRID. That investigation is ongoing. 

NBC Connecticut has reached out to Eversource and AVANGRID for comment.

A Middletown woman has been charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle after a fatal accident on Route 81 northbound in Clinton in May.

According to police, on May 4, 2017, 49-year-old Diedre Koziel was driving south on Route 81 when she struck a vehicle traveling north head-on. The crash happened in the northbound lane.

Police said 61-year-old Andrew Asermely of Killingworth was killed in the crash.

Koziel was found at fault and charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, distracted driving while committing a moving violation, failure to drive in the proper lane, and weapons in a motor vehicle.

She was held on a $75,000 bond and is due in court Friday.

They call themselves Veterans 4 Puerto Rico and their mission is to bring clean water, communication and comfort to the island.

They represent the Army, Navy Marines Air Force, Coast Guard and the Meriden Fire Department.

They said the skills of preparedness, speed and strategic thinking learned in their respective services have equipped them for the relief mission. The men planned to visit Puerto Rico, travel around the island delivering care packages and other assistance in several towns.

NBC Connecticut first spoke to the five men in October. Since then, member Ray Guasp has made two trips to Puerto Rico, bringing water to hundreds if not thousands of people. But Guasp says there is still work to be done.

"What we saw was massive destruction throughout the island, Guasp said. "The power grid was down. Trees were down. It was total devastation on the ground."

Guasp is Puerto Rican and has family on the island.

Veterans 4 has been crisscrossing Puerto Rico with DIVVY systems, which deliver clean drinkable water to communities that otherwise do not have access. The systems are capable of pumping 250 gallons of potable water per hour.

Several men dedicated to service in Connecticut are using their skills to get clean water and other relief to Puerto Rico.

"As soon as we get in, we started cutting red tape right from the beginning. We asked them where their needs were, where do you need water and how do we get there?" Guasp said.

Back home in Chester on his break between his second and upcoming third trip to the island, the former marine said the dramatic need for the most basic supplies in Puerto Rico still isn't being met, and that's why his team keeps running. 

Guasp heads back to Puerto Rico next week. So far, he's raised more than $30,000 to take seven divvy machines to the island, where they'll be given to local communities to generate clean water.

La Marea Ristorante in Old Saybrook is hosting a benefit for Veterans 4 Puerto Rico on Monday December 4. You can learn more about Veterans 4 Puerto Rico at www.veterans4.org.

Southbury’s Board of Selectmen debated banning guns in town buildings, on town-owned property and at public events at a meeting Thursday.

In the end, it appears most of the selectmen were not favor of the ordinance and no action was taken.

The discussion at Pomperaug High School followed a lengthy and at times heated public hearing on the issue on November 2.

Supporters saw it as a commonsense response to events elsewhere, including the armed demonstrators at protests in Charlottesville, Virginia in August.

"It’s a first amendment issue and second amendment issue. I think we can find common ground," Mike Rosen, D- Southbury Selectman, said.

Opponents argue the measure is not needed here, and that it could make people more unsafe.

"Based on what I’ve seen in the news it’s clear that we cannot depend on our police to protect us against every threat," George Bertram, (R) Southbury Selectman, said.

Supporters also suggested allowing everyone in town to weigh in.

Advocates could look at pushing for a referendum.

Interstate 95 northbound is closed in Guilford due to a crash, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The DOT says this is a rollover crash and the highway is shut down between exits 58 and 59. State police are on scene.

No other details were immediately available. Check back for updates.