Bridgeport police have arrested a man they say impersonated a Bridgeport police officer and sexually assaulted a woman in an abandoned garage in June.

Jorge Santiago, 42, of Derby, is accused of sexually assaulting a young woman on June 13 in the abandoned garage of 55 Park St.

Police said he had a police-type radio, a law enforcement badge and a firearm.

Santiago was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, threatening in the first degree and impersonation of a police officer.

Bond was set at $500,000.

It’s not clear if he has an attorney.

Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman said the decades in prison once-renowned gymnastic doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to Wednesday doesn't close the book on the scandal and repeated her call for leaders at the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics to be held accountable. 

"It’s not something that instantly makes you feel better. We need to hold these organizations accountable. USAG, USOC, Michigan State University, they need an independent investigation," Raisman told "Today" anchor Hoda Kotb in an interview Thursday morning. "This is bigger than Larry Nassar.  We have to get to the bottom of how this disaster happened. If we don’t figure out how it did, we can’t be confident that it won’t happen again."

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years for molesting young female athletes under the guise of giving medical treatment, capping an extraordinary hearing during which more than 150 women and girls, including Raisman, described his abuse.

"He deserves to suffer," Raisman said. "It's disgusting what happened."

The 23-year-old gymnast also chided her sport's governing body for letting Nassar treat gymnasts at Texas training facility without a medical license in the state. The Texas Medical Board confirmed to the Dallas Morning News late Wednesday that Nassar wasn't licensed in the state.

"How does this happen? What does that say about USA Gymnastics and the USOC?" Raisman said. "Whether they knew or didn’t know that’s a big problem and we need to investigate how this happened."

According to the Texas Medical Board, any of out-of-state physician traveling with a sports team is practicing without a licence, a third-degree felony that is rarely enforced. Nassar worked at the Karolyi Ranch, the training facility that served as the USAG's National Training Center, under the radar of the board by operating in this regulatory gray area. 

Board spokesman Jarret Scheider told the Dallas News that traveling team doctors and trainers treating athletes without a licence in the state is "a national issue not unique to Texas."

The last time Raisman saw Nassar was in 2015 at the Karolyi Ranch while preparing for the Rio Games. USA Gymnastics cut ties with the Huntsville, Texas, facility after athletes who alleged some of the abuse occurred at the ranch expressed dismay at having to attend camps there.

Raisman faced Nassar again for the first time during his marathon sentencing hearing. She said she prepared herself for the trial by looking at pictures of him online, but found comfort in being part of a group of women speaking out against the same abuser.

"I didn’t know how I'd feel but walking in there, but being with this army of survivors — I didn’t know most of these girls and women — but I just felt instant connection," Raisman said. "We were hugging each other. We really are an army of survivors, and this is just the beginning for us."

She said since making her statement at the hearing, no one from USA Gymnastics or the U.S. Olympic Committee had reached out to her.

Raisman accuses the organizations of mishandling years of sexual assault complaints against Nassar because "medals, reputation, and money" were placed ahead of athlete safety.

In an open letter to Team USA athletes, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun apologized to Nassar's victims for not supporting them with a physical presence in the courtroom and called on all current directs at USA Gymnastics to step down.

"The purpose of this message is to tell all of Nassar’s victims and survivors, directly, how incredibly sorry we are," Blackmun wrote in a letter posted late Wednesday on Team USA's website. "We have said it in other contexts, but we have not been direct enough with you. We are sorry for the pain caused by this terrible man, and sorry that you weren’t afforded a safe opportunity to pursue your sports dreams. The Olympic family is among those that have failed you."

He also announced an independent investigation to determine "who knew what and when" when it comes to Nassar.  

Raisman alleges the USOC hid the abuse and has called on its leaders to resign.  On Monday, Raisman claimed that a day after the Indianapolis Star named Nassar in a 2016 report on USA Gymastics' lackluster response to allegations of assault the "USOC said they wouldn’t investigate (and even praised USAG’s work in the area of sexual abuse).”

Hours after Nassar's sentencing hearing, Michigan State — which has asked the state attorney general to conduct a review of how the university handled the Nassar case — announced President Lou Anna Simon's resignation amid mounting pressure. 

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called on Congress to launch an investigation into USA Gymnastics' handling of complaints against Nassar.  

"The abuses that occurred at USA Gymnastics should not have been allowed to occur. I agree: Nassar’s trial should be the start of a bigger investigation by Congress so that this can never happen again," Gillibrand tweeted Thursday.

Meanwhile, on Monday, three top officials at USA Gymnastics resigned. Board members Chairman Paul Parilla, vice chair Jay Binder and treasurer Bitsy Kelley announced they were stepping down. The organization also announced the suspension of former women's national team coach John Geddert, the owner of a gymnastics club where Nassar sexually abused girls near Lansing, Michigan.

Before serving the Michigan sentence, the 54-year-old must first serve a 60-year federal sentence for child pornography crimes. With credit for good behavior, he could complete that sentence in about 55 years. By then, he would be more than 100 years old if still alive.

GOP lawmakers and conservative media have seized on the notion of a coordinated anti-Trump effort within the FBI after an agent's reference to a "secret society" in a text exchange emerged last month, NBC News reported.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., alleged an informant confirmed there had been "secret off-site meetings” involving "a number of high level, FBI officials." Johnson, who chairs the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, suggested that there is a "secret society" among the Department of Justice and the FBI to undermine the Trump administration.

But a separate congressional Republican source revealed to NBC News that the exchange mentioning a "secret society" was hours after Trump won the presidency, and expressed concerns about what lay ahead after the elections.

"Seems kind of depressing," Lisa Page wrote to Peter Strzok. "Maybe it should just be the first meeting of the secret society." 

It was the only reference to a "secret society" in the recent DOJ disclosure.

Two days after their 15-year-old daughter was killed when a gunman opened fire inside Kentucky's Marshall County High School, the parents of Bailey Holt shared their grief in an emotional interview that aired Thursday on the "Today" show.

Jason and Secret Holt remembered their daughter as "the best kid ever," saying she enjoyed music and wanted to be a nurse. The couple urged other parents to hold their children while they still can.

"Just hug your kids," Jason Holt said.

"Just hug them and tell them you love them daily, 'cause you just don't know if it's gonna be the last time you get to do it," Secret Holt added, holding back tears.

Bailey Holt and 15-year-old Preston Cope were killed in the common area of their school, where many students had gathered before class. Eighteen others were injured in the shooting and hundreds were sent fleeing from the school. The 15-year-old accused of emptying his handgun on the crowd faces murder and assault charges as an adult, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Jason Holt remembered the last time he saw Bailey that day; he embraced her as he did every morning and night.

"I took her to school and gave her a kiss and told her I loved her, and she got out of the car," he said.

Secret also mourned seeing her daughter off to school.

"I miss seeing her every morning," Bailey's mother, Secret Holt, said. "I would kiss and tell her I loved her every morning before I left for work."

The high school is still an active crime scene, officials said, and there is no indication when it will reopen. Five of the gunshot victims were transferred to a medical center in Nashville, and they remain in critical but stable condition.

"I just wanna pray for all the other victims too," Secret Holt said.

The shooting was the 16th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2018, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The Doomsday Clock now holds at two minutes to midnight, with the world facing the closest risk of global catastrophe since the Cold War in 1953, in part due to actions by the Trump administration, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

The group of scientists, Nobel Laureates and other experts announced Thursday it had moved the hands of the symbolic, apocalyptic clock up 30 seconds for 2018, citing an "obvious and imminent danger" from growing nuclear risks, dangers from climate change and a "breakdown in the international order." 

"Neither allies nor adversaries have been able to reliably predict U.S. actions or understand when U.S. pronouncements are real, and when they are mere rhetoric," the group said. "International diplomacy has been reduced to name-calling, giving it a surrealistic sense of unreality that makes the world security situation ever more threatening."

The statement cited as risks U.S. and Russian military entanglements, South China Sea tensions, escalating rhetoric between Pakistan and India, and uncertainty over the future of the Iran nuclear deal. The group also singled out internet-based campaigns to disrupt free elections.  

"North Korea’s nuclear weapons program appeared to make remarkable progress in 2017, increasing risks for itself, other countries in the region, and the United States," the group said in a statement. "Hyperbolic rhetoric and provocative actions on both sides have increased the possibility of nuclear war by accident or miscalculation."

People should demand action to reduce the threat of nuclear war and climate change, the group said. 

The Doomsday Clock was created 71 years ago. Last year was the first time the scientists behind it had moved it 30 seconds, citing then-incoming President Donald Trump's "intemperate statements, lack of openness to expert advice, and questionable cabinet nominations," in part for the move. 

The clock was last set to two minutes before midnight in 1953, when the U.S. was cited for pursuing the hydrogen bomb. 

Weeks before an uproar of encouragement to run for president following her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Oprah Winfrey appeared to have ruled out a 2020 bid.

“That’s not for me,” Winfrey was quoted as telling InStyle for a March cover story. The interview was conducted three weeks before the Globes and Winfrey said she was looking forward to getting back to working with "60 Minutes."

“I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it’s not something that interests me,” Winfrey told InStyle’s about presidential speculation. “I don’t have the DNA for it."

Still, Winfrey indicated that she had been taking the possibility seriously.

"I met with someone the other day who said that they would help me with a campaign," she said. "That’s not for me.”

Winfrey has made headlines about her presidential intentions since she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award at the 75th Annual Golden Globes. During the well-received speech, she thundered to listeners, “I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon!”

#Oprah2020 was trending on Twitter for days and the intrigue multiplied when Winfrey’s longtime partner Stedman Graham told The Los Angeles Times, “It’s up to the people. She would absolutely do it.”

According to a Politico/Morning Consult poll, Winfrey would rank among the top potential contenders for Democrats, though she trailed former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The poll also showed Winfrey would lead President Donald Trump by 2 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup, 40 percent to 38 percent.

Trump, for his part, has welcomed a possible Winfrey bid, though he said he didn't think she'd do it. Running alongside her “would be a lot of fun,” he told reporters, adding that he'd win. 

Winfrey, 64, has become a cultural phenomenon over the past 30-plus years. She was born into a poor home in Mississippi and went on to create her legacy as a television news and talk show personality. Over the years, she became the face of television talk shows, starred and produced feature films and began her own network.

Winfrey mentioned to InStyle that she's seen merchandise for a hoped-for run.

“All you need is a mug and some campaign literature and a T-shirt,” she said.

Editor's Note (Jan. 25, 12:39 p.m.): This story has been updated to reflect that the InStyle interview took place before the Golden Globes. 

Vince McMahon, the founder of Stamford-based WWE, is announcing the return of XFL professional football in 2020.

McMahon, a Greenwich resident, made the announcement at 3 p.m. at Alpha Entertainment in Stamford. 

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McMahon’s first attempt at a professional football league was the XFL, which lasted for one season on NBC in 2001.

A man accused of attacking his mother in East Haven Tuesday was found hiding out in a church and taken into custody, according to police. 

Officers responded to an East Haven home Tuesday after the fire department contacted them from the scene of what they called a “serious domestic violence assault.” 

Police said 34-year-old Ryan Champlin assaulted his 59-year-old mother after they got into an argument about him not paying to live at their residence. The woman said she tried to call 911, but her son pushed her to the ground. 

Champlin's mother was then able to run into her bedroom and lock the door, but her son kicked the door open, grabbed the cordless phone from her and hit her in the back of the head with it several times, breaking the phone, then fled from the home, police said. 

After the woman spoke with officers, she was transported to the hospital to be treated for serious injuries, police said. 

Officers then began searching for Champlin and received a tip that he’d been dropped off at the Old Stone Church at 251 Main St. in East Haven, so officers contacted church employees who weren’t sure if Champlin was inside but invited them in to look for him, police said. 

Champlin was found hiding in an upstairs office and was taken into custody. 

Police also shared video of an exchange with a church official who arrived at the scene, said the church is a place of sanctuary and refuge and that police have no authority to go into the church. 

“While the East Haven Police Department respects the sanctity of a church, we also owe it to victims of domestic violence to apprehend suspects who commit violent felony assaults,” the news release from police says. “Officers were also cognizant of the fact that children attending day care might have been exposed to a fleeing felony suspect within the interior of the church. We feel that the decision to enter the church was the correct one in this particular situation.” 

NBC Connecticut reached out to the church but the pastor was not available. 

Police said the Old Stone Church runs a daycare, the Old Stone Playschool, out of the same building as the church and it appears teachers were the only ones there when Champlin entered the church. Police do not believe Champlin was in contact with any children. 

Champlin has been charged with assault in the second degree, interfering with an emergency call, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the third degree.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello projected Thursday that his bankrupt, hurricane-ravaged territory will carry budget gaps for the next four fiscal years, leaving nothing to pay back its $72 billion in bond debt until 2022 Reuters reported.

Rosello released the projections Thursday in a revised fiscal turnaround plan, which assumes a minimum of $35.3 billion in federal aid through the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's public assistance program. The money would help the island recover from Hurricane Maria.

A previous plan projected $800 million a year for debt repayment, about a quarter of what it needs annually. That was before Maria killed dozens of people, cut power to millions of residents and damaged properties.

The new plan projects Maria will spur increased inflation and nearly triple a contraction in gross national product this fiscal year, as well as drive some 600,000 more people from the island in the next five years.

President Donald Trump, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, sat down with CNBC Thursday and said he would reconsider the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement if the U.S. were able to nail down a "substantially better" deal.

"I would do TPP if we were able to make a substantially better deal. The deal was terrible, the way it was structured was terrible. If we did a substantially better deal, I would be open to TPP," Trump said.

Last January, Trump made the largely symbolic move to pull out of the Pacific trade deal championed by his predecessor, President Barack Obama. As a candidate, Trump repeatedly blasted the agreement, which had little chance of securing congressional approval even before he took office.

TPP was a 12-nation agreement among the United States and Pacific rim nations designed partly to curb China's influence. Critics like Trump worried that it would encourage companies to ship jobs from the U.S. to lower-wage countries.

Temperatures to finish out the work week will only rise into the low to middle 30s for Friday however milder air will move in just in time for the weekend.

A wind shift Friday night into Saturday will bring in milder air from our south.

Take a look at projected high temperatures for Saturday afternoon. Most of the state is into the middle to upper 40s with a few communities reaching 50 degrees.

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We are tracking a few scattered showers for late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Temperatures on Sunday will once again rise into the middle 40s throughout the state.

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Following the mild weekend we're keeping our eyes on a system for the Monday/Tuesday timeframe that could bring a wintry mix or accumulating snow to the state. 

Connecticut health officials say the flu is to blame for 32 deaths in the state so far this season.

The state Department of Public Health released its weekly report on Thursday. According to the report, from Aug. 27 through Jan. 20, 824 patients were hospitalized with confirmed cases of the flu. There have been 32 deaths attributed to the flu – 28 in patients over the age of 65, two in patients between 50 and 64, 1 patient between 25 and 49, and one between the ages of 5 and 17.

That is 11 more deaths than the previous week's reported 21.

Flu activity in the state remains high and widespread and officials encourage residents to get a flu shot. Officials warn that peak flu season could still be several weeks away.

In an effort to protect the public’s health and reduce the spread of the flu virus, DPH will hold a State Flu Vaccination Day Saturday.

See the list of locations here. 

Vaccines for children 18 years of age and under will be available for free. Adult vaccines will be provided for free for anyone without insurance. Residents with insurance should bring their card and will be charged a small administrative fee, according to the Department of Public Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this month that this year the flu is peaking across the entire US, making for a very active flu season.

The East Haddam Swing Bridge has reopened after a mechanical malfunction closed it to traffic Thursday afternoon.

State Department of Transportation crews were called in due to an issue with the system that locks the bridge into place.

"It is closed but the system that locks it in the closed position is not safely engaging," explained DOT spokesperson Kevin Nursick.

As of 5:20 p.m. the bridge had reopened and traffic was moving.

The City of New Haven has issued a public health alert after there were at least five suspected overdoses reported in the span of an hour.

New Haven’s Deputy Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana said the calls began coming in at 2:52 p.m.

Police said two patients were found in the area of Vernon Street and Congress Avenue, and two others were found at Davenport Avenue and Vernon Street. A short time later first responders received another call and found another suspected overdose victim on High Street. Two of the patients were in cardiac arrest.

Fire officials said the symptoms in all five cases were consistent with an overdose.

"Our members transporting were able to give us the symptoms of many of the victims, all common symptoms, four of which were found in the same area of the city, gave us concern there may be something out on the streets, some kind of mix," said New Haven Fire Chief John Alston.

Authorities are also looking into two other incidents that happened around the same time that may or may not be related.

A sample has been sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration, and officials are waiting for testing to confirm what the drug is. In the meantime, the city is warning residents that there is a deadly street drug making rounds.

New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell said it is unusual for so many overdoses to occur in that short an amount of time. Authorities are monitoring the situation.

Police stressed that this was a fast-moving situation and the more information investigators get, the better.

“We’re not there to make arrests for people who are overdosing. We need this information. It’s very important. If there’s paraphernalia, if there are bags or containers that drugs are in – it’s really important that those are preserved and that police are afforded the ability to scrutinize those at a forensic level and at a street investigation level,” said New Haven Police spokesman David Hartman.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents should contact New Haven police at 203-946-6304. Tips can be made anonymously.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Editor's Note: Officials initially said that one of the overdose victims died, but later learned the patient was resuscitated. The story above has been updated to reflect that information.

Time may be running out for a New Fairfield father fighting to stay in this country. Joel Colindres is facing deportation to his native country, Guatemala, at the end of the month.

Dozens of supporters held signs and rallied in Hartford Thursday to support Joel Colindres.

“I just believe that there’s no reason whatsoever to steal Joel from his family,” said supporter Debra Cohen.

Colindres has been fighting deportation back to Guatemala for months. In August, he was granted a temporary stay. Right before Christmas, he found out he could be sent home Jan. 31.

“Something has to be done,” said Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “That’s why we’re here and we will win with your help.”

His attorney says Colindres, who entered the country more than a decade ago, missed a court hearing and that triggered the deportation notice. It’s now being enforced by the current administration.

“I’ve been asking for forgiveness for 14 years and it seems like they don’t care,” Colindres said.

Colindres is a father of a 6-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.

“I’m here fighting, like my wife is, for my kids,” he said. “I think it’s about me, but more my family. My two American kids. they were born here, and they deserve to have their father here in the United States.”

We checked in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson said Colindres is still subject to a notice of final removal.

“Joel Calinders-Guerra, an illegally present citizen of Guatemala, was issued a final order of removal by a federal immigration judge in 2004. Since then he has sought relief from removal via several court actions and has been denied each. He remains subject to a final order of removal. For operational security reasons, the agency does not discuss specific removal arrangements prior to an individual’s successful repatriation,” ICE officials said in a statement.

A pedestrian was seriously hurt in a crash on Old Main Street in Rocky Hill Thursday.

According to police, the pedestrian was taken to the hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car in the area of Old Main Street and Washington Street. The road is currently closed.

Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route.

No other details were immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A Fairfield woman who was charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a 4-month-old baby at her unlicensed daycare in March 2016 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended after 30 months, and five years of probation. 

Carol Cardillo was charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a child. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. 

She was arrested more than five months after police responded to 63 Edgewood Road, where police say Cardillo lived and operated an unlicensed daycare, to investigate the report of an unresponsive infant. 

The baby was transported from the daycare and pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Medical Center and the office of the chief medical examiner determined that the baby died of acute diphenhydramine intoxication. 

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine drug that should not be administered to children under the age of 2 years old, police said.

The Department of Children and Families’ special investigative unit spoke Thursday after looking into potential misconduct allegations by staff members at both the Hartford and Bridgeport juvenile detention centers.

The move comes after 40-year-old Marquis Marquez was arrested for alleged sexual assault involving a teenage girl at the Hartford Juvenile Detention Center.

“What I’ve read has really disturbed me because we are talking about young women,” Representative Diana Urban (D-43) said.

The allegations include additional reports of alleged sexual assault, 3,500 breaches of confidentiality by one staff member, human trafficking, and concerns about staff supervision, and failure to report mandated incidents.

“I’m outraged, I’m disappointed and frankly I’m saddened by the allegations,” Judge Patrick Carroll said.

Connecticut Judicial Branch Judge Patrick Carroll explained the results of an independent review of the centers conducted since Marquez’s arrest and recommendations including staff training, reporting and the use of cameras at the centers.

“That is a very serious allegation and it goes way beyond an isolated incident,” Senator Len Suzio (R-13) said.

Also in question, the overall culture within the juvenile detention centers. Suzio asked if a prevailing institutional problem resides within the facilities.

“They are bad acts being done by a few people no sense in denying that,” Carroll said.

The Office of Child Advocate also conducted an internal review and presented recommendations. The additional allegations brought up Thursday are still under investigation by DCF.

Marquez is free on bond, he is expected in court next month.

The US Coast Guard cut through roughly seven miles worth of ice in one week, and still has four more miles to go.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) was aboard that mission Thursday afternoon to get a front row seat.

“There’s nothing like being able to say I was out on the river seeing what these guys do,” said Blumenthal.

The Coast Guard originally planned to keep forming a channel upstream, but when the Haddam Swing Bridge wouldn’t open because of mechanical issues, the crew decided to focus their efforts ddownstream

As the vessels plow into the ice jam, huge chunks break free and sometimes get caught on banks, debris, or each other, downstream. Sometimes the crew has to backtrack to loosen the newer ice jams that effectively help bottleneck the river.

“We literally find ourselves breaking out a lot of the ice that we broke out yesterday,” said BMC Anthony Kaminski.

And his crew will continue clearing ice downstream for the rest of the day. On Friday, the mission upstream continues.

“As long as we can keep breaking it up, we’re going,” said BMC Kaminski. “We’re going hard. So we’re having fun, too.”

A Connecticut woman stepped up in a big way when her sister struggled to start a family.

“Long-awaited it's been four years in the making,” Elizabeth Gaudino said.

Like some storms in life, they can come with little warning and last longer than we’d like.

“We lost our twins at 20 weeks, we struggled after that with a few failed transfers,” Gaudino said.

For Gaudino infertility seemed like the storm that just wouldn’t let up. But just as fast as storms can come, she’s learned they too can suddenly stop.

Gaudino’s younger sister Anna Howat knew it was time.

“She's been through a lot so she didn't have a lot of optimism at the end,”  Howat said.

Giving her sister what her body would not, a place for her baby to grow. On Tuesday Anna gave birth to sweet Charlotte Grace as a surrogate.

“There’s light at the end of the tunnel,” Howat said.

A bundle of fulfilled dreams and proof that after the storms of life comes a rainbow.