Metro-North is warning commuters that trains will be crowded this morning.

They said several train cars are unavailable because they require repairs to wheels after slippery rail conditions yesterday.

Hartford police have arrested a man suspect of posing as a student and committing several burglaries at Trinity College for drug money. 

Police said they responded to the college just before 6:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a burglary suspect was fighting with security and officers handcuffed the suspect, 28-year-old Jason Robert Miller. 

While detaining him, police recognized him as a person wanted in connection with several burglaries and larcenies on campus since October, police said. 

Miller is suspected of posing as a student and roaming campus in search of unsecured laptops and police said he was seen twice on video leaving the building with the stolen laptops. 

Hartford police said Miller ultimately confessed to three stolen laptop incidents and identified his alleged accomplice. 

Police said at least two more arrest warrants are pending for other burglaries and larcenies on campus. 

Miller has 14 arrests in Connecticut on larceny, burglary and narcotics charges and 10 arrests in Hartford, according to police. 

He was charged with fourth-degree larceny and assault on public safety officer.

A woman who was hit by a train in Beacon Falls around 9 a.m. Wednesday has died, according to Metro-North.

Police said the woman was on the tracks north of the station in Beacon Falls and she was not authorized to be there.

Police in Fairfield County are warning residents about a blackmail scam in which someone threatens to know a secret about the recipient and demands payment to avoid that information and evidence of it from being sent to the person’s wife.

Police in Darien and New Canaan have issued a warning after letters were sent in which the sender claims to know a secret the recipient is hiding from the wife and demands thousands of dollars in bitcoins to keep quite.

"I know about the secret you are keeping from your wife. More importantly, I have evidence of what you are hiding," the letter says, according to police.

The sender then gives the recipient two options:

One is to pay the $3,500 in digital currency.

The other is to ignore the letter, which would result in the "evidence" being sent to the recipient's wife and her family and friends.

The recipient's name appears in several places in the letter, which give the appearance that the threat is authentic, police said, but it is a scam and they urge anyone who receives the letter to report it to authorities.

If you received one of the letters, do not send money. The funds cannot be traced or recovered, police warn.

The letters have gone out in several Connecticut towns, as well as Massachusetts.

Two adult drivers and two students have been transported to hospitals for minor injuries or as a precaution after a four-vehicle crash on Route 185 in Simsbury, according to police.

Police said one car rolled over, an oil company van went into a guardrail and a blue minivan went down an embankment and into the woods.

Officials said 17 Open Choice students from Hartford were on the CREC bus when it crashed as it entered Simsbury.

A school nurse checked out the students, who attend both Central and Squadron Line, and two students were sent as a precaution to a local emergency room.

The crash happened on Route 185, by Cobtail Way. The road was closed and there were heavy delays in the area, but the road has reopened.

The rest of the students will be brought to school once the bus is cleared to proceed.

A statement from the schools said staff will support students who might have gotten a scare from this incident.

The U.S. Department of Justice official who appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election said he is satisfied with the special counsel’s work.

When the News4 I-Team asked Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if he was satisfied with the work thus far of the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel, Rosenstein said yes.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called the Russia probe a politically motivated "witchhunt." Only Rosenstein would have the authority to fire Mueller.

Rosenstein, a longtime former U.S. attorney in Maryland, told the I-Team in an interview Monday that he was limited in explaining why he was satisfied with the special counsel’s work.

“When we conduct criminal investigations -- just as was true in Maryland - we don’t talk about the investigation while it’s ongoing," he said. "So what the American people will see is only if and when a case is charged. And there are several cases that have been charged to date.”

At least four people have been charged with violating federal law by the special counsel's office, including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The charges are pending in D.C. federal court.

The special counsel's office declined to comment on Rosenstein's remarks.

Rosenstein has oversight over the special counsel because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Rosenstein formally approved the appointment of Mueller. 

He said his team is accountable for the work of Mueller and the special counsel team.

“The Office of Special Counsel, as you know, has a degree of autonomy from the Department of Justice. But there is appropriate oversight by the department. That includes budget. But it also includes certain other details of the office. It is part of the Department of Justice. And we’re accountable for it.”

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.

Firefighters responded to a fire at a shopping plaza on the Boston Post Road in Orange on Wednesday morning.

The fire broke out in one of the businesses at the Liberty Square Plaza at 501 Boston Post Road.

The shopping plaza was closed while fire crews put out the fire, according to police.

Most of the plaza was expected to reopen once firefighters cleared the scene.

It was not clear which business was affected.

A 27-year-old Waterbury man who is accused of killing the 16-year-old girl he was dating told police that they were fighting after she threatened to tell his girlfriend of six years about their sexual relationship, according to court documents.

Dominique Pittman, a 27-year-old father of three, has been charged with the murder of 16-year-old Evalyce Santiago, of Waterbury, who was found dead Monday evening after a fiery car crash in the city.

Police responded to the scene of that car crash in the 1700 block of Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury around 10 p.m. Monday and Santiago in the front passenger seat, unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to court documents.

Pittman initially told investigators that he was driving, went with Santiago to pick up her boyfriend, an argument ensued, he heard gunshots go off in the car and saw Santiago slumped over. Then, the boyfriend ran from the car, according to Pittman, who said he did not know the boyfriend’s name.

As Pittman spoke with investigators, there were inconsistencies in his story and he later admitted that no one other than he and Santiago were in the car, according to the arrest warrant application.

Pittman then said Santiago had a knife, started yelling at him about borrowing money from him and him buying her a winter coat, then she started cutting store scan cards from his keys and took a gun from the console of his car, the arrest warrant application said. As they were fighting over the gun, it went off, and Pittman crashed the car.

Officers then confronted Pittman about the possibility of Santiago being pregnant and finding traces of his DNA and he admitted to having a sexual relationship with the teen until November, according to police paperwork.

At that point, Pittman said Santiago had been FaceTiming him to pick her up and threatened to tell his girlfriend of six years about their sexual relationship, according to the arrest warrant application.

They got into an argument, fought over the gun and he pulled the trigger and shot Santiago twice in the head, the court records state.

Santiago’s family members said they did not know the teen was dating the 27-year-old Pittman who has fathered several children Santiago’s aunt.

"Nobody knows nothing until something happens. That’s when we all realize the tragedy. It was under our noses and we didn’t see it," Santiago’s grandfather, Francisco Rivera, told NBC Connecticut. "We go on with life. He looks at four walls and figures out what he did wrong."

Santiago was a student at Wilby High School, who had recently transferred from Crosby High School, when she was killed. A vigil was held for the teen Tuesday night.

Bond for Pittman was initially set at $1 million, but was increased to $3 million Wednesday. He is due in court on Dec. 20 and a mental health evaluation was ordered.

Police said Pittman has also been charged with weapons violations, including carrying a pistol without a permit and weapons in a motor vehicle.

Pittman's family had no comment after court.

A New Orleans City Council member was left stunned when he received a Christmas request from a fourth-grader who asked only for "new shoes" and a "happier life."

Jay Banks, who was recently elected to represent District B, said he "randomly selected" the child’s wish list while working with the annual Angel Tree program at the Dryades YMCA. The program helps make Christmas wishes come true for students at the James Singleton Charter School.

“Put this in context, a 4th grade child has the opportunity to ask for what he wants for Christmas and this is what he asks for,” Banks wrote in an emotional Facebook post Monday after choosing the form. “A new bike, an xbox, other toys or a multitude of other things would not have surprised nor alarmed me but for a 4th grader to ask for a happier life is heart wrenching.”

Banks goes on to question how he can help and how many children have wished for the same thing.

“I don’t specifically remember much about the 4th grade but I do know I wasn’t wishing for a happier life,” he wrote. “My thoughts are; what is this child going through; how many other children like him are going through the same things; how can I help; why did I have pull this one?”

The post drew comments of support from dozens of people offering gifts and even counseling services.

Banks has not yet said what he plans to do for the child.

East Lyme Police are looking to tap into people’s smartphone use by launching an app to help fight crime.

In the next week, people will be able to download the East Lyme PD app. Just like a news or weather push alert, people will soon be able to get East Lyme Police alerts in the palm of their hands.

"Anyone who has our application has the ability to view it, to respond to it, to add information to it and that comes to us anonymously," East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein said.

The new app, produced by 411Tips, allows people to submit tips, pictures, videos and help with cases police are actively working on.

On Tuesday, officers got more than 100,000 interactions on Facebook looking for a package theft suspect. Finkelstein said this can help reach even more people in real time. If someone responds to an alert, their name and number won’t be attached to it.

"People are reluctant sometimes to post things on walls or to call the police department," Finkelstein said.

Residents will even have the ability to text cops anonymously. Something Melinda Graus, owner of Gumdrops & Lollipops Candy, Ice Cream & Diner, said she would have done yesterday.

"I was a little nervous about the store being closed and the kids riding around on their bikes. They had their bikes up on the deck. I ended up calling the police yesterday to have them keep an eye on the store," Graus said.

People who live in East Lyme said they’d download the app and use it.

"If you can just push something on your phone and take a picture of it and send it right off without a lot of interference, I think it would be a good idea," Vic Weltig of East Lyme said.

Hamden Police recently rolled out the Tip411 service. New London Police have implemented the tip texting part of the system for the last four years.

Finkelstein said he’s also been talking to departments in Texas and Wisconsin to gauge how well the app works.

But this is not a replacement for 9-1-1. Finkelstein said if you see crime happening in front of you or there is an emergency, still call police.

Officers hope to have the app officially launched by the middle of next week.

An aggressive turkey named Kevin was captured in Wethersfield, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said. 

Kevin was located in the vicinity of Jordan Lane and the Silas Deane Highway on Wednesday around 1:30 p.m.

DEEP said Kevin traveled through a highly populated area and posed a hazard to himself and others. 

"Kevin was transported using a National Wild Turkey Federation box to a safe location and released on a Written Promise to Continue eating plenty of roots, bulbs and leaves," DEEP said in a release.

Thursday Morning Update: A bit of a wobble west on our overnight computer models indicates accumulating snow is becoming more likely. As shown above there remainsa a very tight gradient between a couple inches of snow and just flurries. We'll have to see if the overnight wobble west was the beginning of a trend or a burp. At least right now i'd prepare for some snow on Saturday afternoon through Saturday night. More details to come...

Wednesday Evening Update: A complicated forecast continues for this weekend across southern New England. Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come this winter! The hardest part of the forecast is an exceptionally sharp western cut-off of the snow shield on Saturday. 50 miles is the difference between a flurry and a couple inches of snow.

While some of the operational runs have bounced back and forth the consensus forecast hasn't really moved with a glancing blow and some snow here in the state. As always, the devil is in the details. Take the afternoon GFS ensemble snowfall forecast. You can see 14 of the 20 ensemble members with less than an inch of snow in Hartford while 6 of the 20 with more than 1". Just like yesterday, odds favor not much snow but there are some outlier solutions that would bring a plowable snow as far west as I-91. Other global models such as the UKMet and Canadian show a more substantial snowfall here (basically what some of the GFS ensemble outliers show).

While everyone wants to know a specific snowfall forecast for their town it's simply too soon to give that. I wish I could! Some storms are more certain and some are more uncertain. This one falls in the latter category. 

The National Weather Service is very bullish on snowfall amounts (they tend to be much higher than other local forecasts) showing a nearly 50% chance of over 2" of snow. I think that is overstated quite a bit. Still, we can't write this storm off just yet. 

An employee of an East Haven company was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital after getting his or her hand in a dough machine Thursday morning. 

The incident happened at Calabro Cheese Corporation on Coe Avenue, according to officials, and the injuries are not life-threatening.

Thousands of Saudi women cheered and rose to a standing ovation Wednesday at the country's first public concert by a female singer, NBC News reported.

"This is a very proud moment for Saudi Arabia," the master of ceremonies said while welcoming Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji to the stage in the capital, Riyadh. "All women should express their appreciation for a fact that a woman for the first time is performing at a concert in Saudi Arabia."

Some women danced to covers of Whitney Houston and Celine Dione, as well as Arab classics. Others even removed their abayas — the loose-fitting, full-length robes local women are required to wear in public — allowing their hair to hang loose.

Saudi Arabia is consistently ranked as one of the worst countries for gender equality in the world. The concert is the latest example of how Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms are changing life for Saudis.

A church in Dedham, Mass., is drawing both praise and criticism for using its nativity scene to protest gun violence. The backdrop of the scene lists major mass shootings and the number of those killed. 

“Jesus was certainly a political person,” Pastor Stephen Josoma, of Saint Susanna Parish, said. “He wasn’t crucified for saying the Rosary, you know?”

Survivors gathered Thursday at the site of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to remember fellow servicemen killed in the early morning raid 76 years ago, paying homage to the thousands who died with a solemn ceremony marking the surprise bombing that plunged the U.S. into World War II.

About 20 survivors attended the event at a grassy looking overlooking harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. They were joined by about 2,000 Navy sailors, officials and members of the public.

Gilbert Meyer, who lived through the Dec. 7, 1941 bombing, said he returned to pay his respects to his shipmates from the USS Utah — and say a prayer for them.

The 94-year who lives near Lytle, Texas, was an 18-year-old fireman first class when a torpedo hit the port side of the Utah. He said he's still alive because he happened to be on the ship's starboard side.

"I think about my shipmates and how they were killed. It reminds me that we're lucky we got off and we've made a good country for them," Meyer said.

Meyer later served in the battles at Attu, Kiska, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He witnessed Japan's surrender in 1945 from the deck of the USS Detroit in Tokyo Bay.

Herbert Elfring remembered hearing bombs explode and initially thought the explosions were U.S. training exercises.

Then a fighter plane painting with Japan's World War II Rising Sun insignia strafed the Camp Makaole base where Elfring, 19 at the time, was serving. The bullets missed him by about 15 feet (5 meters).

"When I looked up and saw the red ball on the fuselage I knew it wasn't our plane," he said. "I knew it was a Japanese plane."

The Jackson, Michigan, man is now 95 years old. He said returning to Pearl Harbor for the anniversary of the attack makes him feel special because he's one of the few remaining survivors.

"I have one of those caps that says 'Pearl Harbor Survivor' on it," he said. "It's amazing how many people come up and thank me for my service."

The ceremony began with a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives. The moment was timed for 7:55 a.m. — the same time the attack began. Four Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighter jets broke the silence, with one plane peeling off from the group to symbolize servicemen still missing.

"The heroes with us today ensured Pearl Harbor would not be the end of the story," said Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift. "Instead of retreating from the fight, America's Pacific Fleet dug in its heels. Along the way, they forged a cultural heritage of resilience that sailors continue to draw upon today."

The Navy and National Park Service host the ceremony each year at the same time the attack began. Usually, a Navy vessel with sailors manning the rails passes by the USS Arizona Memorial during the event. This year, a ship will not participate because of operational commitments, said Bill Doughty, a spokesman for Navy Region Hawaii.

More than 2,300 servicemen were killed in the assault carried out by Japanese airplanes. Nearly half were on the USS Arizona, which exploded and sank after it was hit by two bombs. Most of the Arizona's fallen are entombed in the battleship, which lies at the bottom of the harbor.

After the ceremony, survivors and dignitaries were expected to ride a boat to the Arizona memorial and present wreaths in remembrance of those killed.

"On behalf of a grateful Pacific nation, and a proud Pacific Fleet, I would like to thank our Pearl Harbor and World War II veterans who yet carry the burden and bear the scars of those fateful days," Swift said. "We honor you for the proud cultural heritage of victory and toughness that you have bestowed on each of us that now wear the uniform in your honor."

Japan and the U.S. became close allies after the war.

The M&R Liquors in Manchester is expected to reopen at the end of the week after the store burned to the ground in April. 

The liquor store said on its Facebook group that a grand opening will be held in Manchester on Friday. 

In April, drivers passing by the building on 120 Tolland Turnpike noticed heavy smoke and called 911 around 3:55 a.m., according to the fire department. 

When firefighters arrived, smoke was pouring out from all windows, as well as the door and the roof. The fire caused bottles of alcohol to explode, which added more fuel to the fire. 

Within five minutes, part of the roof collapsed and the firefighting operation became even more extensive as more of the nearly 10,000-foot building continued to collapse.

An investigation found that the fire started near the center of the building's attic space above the drop ceiling. 

No one was inside when the fire started. 

M&R Liquors, a family-owned business, has been open since 1952 and in current building was built in the 1980s and did not have a sprinkler system because it was grandfathered in, firefighters said. 

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has filed paperwork to create an exploratory committee as he considers running for governor of Connecticut in 2018.

“I’ve heard from a lot of Democrats all across the state of Connecticut, a lot of people across the state of Connecticut who have encouraged me to explore a run for governor,” Bronin said.

The city of Hartford is dealing with a fiscal crisis and Bronin said the work he’s been doing in the city is not going to stop.

“I’m gonna stay focused on continuing that work. We’ve made tremendous progress in the face of a historic budget crisis and getting our city on the path toward long-term stability in success, but ultimately just like every city and community in the state of Connecticut, our future here in Hartford depends on getting the state pointed in the right direction,” Bronin said.

The 38-year-old Yale Law School graduate is two years into his four-year term as mayor and called this a critical moment for the state of Connecticut.

“The state faces its own enormous budget crisis that needs to be tackled in (an) honest, transparent and long-term way, just as we’ve sought to do in Hartford,” Bronin said.

The mayor said the upcoming election is about the future of the state of Connecticut, including staying true to the values he thinks Connecticut should be so proud of: defending women’s rights to access health care, standing up for a compassionate immigration policy and protecting the environment.

“Those national issues matter here, too,” Bronin said.

Several well-known Democrats have expressed interest in running since Gov. Dannel Malloy announced that he will not seek re-election.

Middletown Mayor Dan Drew announced in July his intention to run for governor and former Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jon Harris and Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim announced they were forming exploratory committees.

Bitcoin surged past $19,000 for the first time Thursday before falling sharply from its record high.

In trading on the Coinbase exchange, the digital currency hit a high of $19,340 after soaring through $12,000 on just Tuesday night. After hitting the record high Thursday, bitcoin fell more than 20 percent from that level to $15,198.63. At 12:02 p.m. New York time, the cryptocurrency traded at $16,260.01.

Despite its wild ride, bitcoin now has a market value of more than $270 billion, meaning it would rank among the 20 largest stocks in the S&P 500.

The digital currency began the year below $1,000 and its gains have accelerated as investor interest grows.

A man accused of carrying a gun around in a Salem home and making statements against law enforcement and himself as two children and two other adults hid from him in a bathroom has been arrested.

State police responded to a home on Fairy Lake Road at 10:49 p.m. Wednesday to investigate after receiving reports of an intoxicated man with an AR-15 causing problems and two adults and two children locking themselves in a bathroom as the man tried to get in.

The man, who police identified as 44-year-old Erich Murphy, of Salem, got into the bathroom and one adult spoke with him as the other adult and children left the house, according to state police.

Murphy was also making statements against law enforcement and himself while carrying the gun, according to police.

State police took him into custody and Murphy has been charged with illegal carrying of a firearm while under the influence, risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct.

Bond was set at $15,000 and he was released.