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Suspect in Ansonia Bank Robbery Arrested

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Ansonia police have arrested a suspect in a bank robbery. 

Bruce Rowley, 26, of Derby, is suspected of robbing Webster Bank at 200 Division St. in Ansonia on Wednesday and police arrested him after a chase from Rhode Island into Connecticut. 

Police said two people identified Rowley as the robber and Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and search warrants for Rowley, his residence and a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which police said Rowley used during the robbery. They also entered the Jeep into a nationwide database as wanted. 

Rhode Island State Police found Rowley driving the Jeep south on Interstate 95 and tried to stop the car, but Rowley led Rhode Island state troopers in a pursuit that eventually entered Connecticut, police said. 

Connecticut state troopers from Troop E in Montville joined in the pursuit and the chase ended at exit 89 on I-95 in Connecticut after they used spike strips to flatten the tires on the Jeep. 

Police said a Rhode Island State Police K9 bit Rowley in the arm while authorities were taking him into custody. 

After he was arrested, Rowley confessed to committing the robbery, according to police. 

Rowley has been charged with robbery in the second degree and larceny in the fourth degree. 

He was held on a $100,000 bond and transported to Derby Superior Court. 



Photo Credit: Ansonia Police

Student at Central High School in Bridgeport Detained After Snapchat

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A student has been detained after students at Central High School in Bridgeport circulated a Snapchat photo around the school and city officials said school resource officers will be stationed at the school for the day Friday. 

Officials said a student who was possibly the suspect was immediately located and detained and there is no active shooter threat. 

As a precaution, a perimeter was set up and school security, the principal and school resource officers started a search of the school as a precaution. 

Once the sweep of the school is finished, school resource officers will be stationed at the school for the day, city officials said. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Christmas 'ISIS Selfie' at Museum in NYC Was Innocent Tourist

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A photo of an apparent ISIS supporter posing in front of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art last Christmas was altered after being taken from an Italian tourist's social media posting, law enforcement officials said Thursday. 

FBI agents tracked the actual person seen in the photo to his native Italy and interviewed him. Officials said he was innocent and did in fact take that picture and post it on social media. But someone else later superimposed the ISIS symbols onto his scarf in an attempt to make an online terror threat to New York. 

Investigators had said they believed the ISIS supporter who altered the holiday season photo was based in Turkey. 

FBI agents and police tracked the man in the photo based on his social media postings as well as a credit card record showing he had in fact visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art along Fifth Avenue that December day. 

Intelligence officials said ISIS supporters are increasingly altering photos of regular people and using them to try to recruit followers and to make threats. FBI officials said there are no new specific, credible threats to New York. 

Law enforcement officials said Joint Terrorist Task Force officials have dozens of investigations underway in the New York area into possible extremists. 

Trump: Pruitt 'Doing Great Job But Is Totally Under Siege'

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President Donald Trump on Friday defended Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt as the embattled administrator faces mounting reports of lavish spending and questionable decisions related to his staff and housing arrangements, NBC News reported. 

"Do you believe that the Fake News Media is pushing hard on a story that I am going to replace A.G. Jeff Sessions with EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who is doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege?" Trump wrote in a Friday morning tweet. 

"Do people really believe this stuff?" he added. "So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!"

In recent weeks, Pruitt has been the subject of multiple negative reports that have raised ethics concerns about his frequent first class travel, his sweetheart deal to rent a condo from the wife of an energy lobbyist, and big pay raises reportedly afforded to top aides without White House approval.



Photo Credit: Carolyn Kaster/AP, File

West Haven Brings Back the Boot for Unpaid Car Taxes

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The City of West Haven is stepping up enforcement this tax season by bringing back the boot. Residents with overdue motor vehicle taxes could find a wheel-locking boot on their cars after April 15. 

Mike Southworth, a lifelong West Haven resident, stopped by City Hall Thursday to pay a supplemental tax bill for an old car. 

“This year they came out with an advance notice,” Southworth said. “They let people know that the boot is coming back.” 

The city has hired vendors that will use an infrared license plate scanner to locate delinquents who have dodged paying car taxes. 

“If you haven’t and just lazy enough and you don’t come down to do it, you should get the boot I guess,” Southworth said. 

The immobilizing boot will only be removed once the car’s owner pays the fee and all back taxes owed to the city. 

“Every city or municipality has a right to, you know, to collect what is due from every citizen,” Ida Pratt said. “However, with the economy being the way that it is, it kind of put a restraint on the citizens that are unable to pay, demanding them to do something they don’t have.” 

Carrie Roberts had her own idea to help the city collect taxes that support her grandchild’s school and services like road repairs. 

“If they haven’t paid their taxes, let’s put a lien on some of their belongings,” Roberts said. “If you owe years and years, that means you’re just totally avoiding the issue.” 

But West Haven is bringing back the boot, which is why Pratt paid a visit to the tax office. 

“April 15th is right around the corner and I don’t need my vehicle booted,” she said. 

West Haven residents are encouraged to check the city’s website to find out if they owe any back taxes. They can pay online or stop by the tax office on the first floor of City Hall.  

Fat-Shamed Teen Buys Out Bakery's Cupcake Stock 'Out of Spite'

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When Vega Blossom was fat-shamed by a fellow customer at an Indiana bakery, she got the last bite – literally.

In a widely-shared Facebook post, the 19-year-old wrote about her experience while waiting in line at Designer Desserts in Valparaiso, where she had gone with plans to buy a half-dozen cupcakes for Easter.

Blossom wrote that the woman standing in front of her in line took "forever" placing an order for a cake, prompting the lady behind Blossom to grow impatient.

“I ignored it until the lady infront [sic] of me left,” her post read.

But when it was Blossom’s turn to order, as she approached the counter, she said she heard the woman standing behind her tell a friend “let's hope this fat b---- doesn’t buy all the cupcakes,’” the post read.

Blossom’s response?

Instead of buying six cupcakes, she bought all the cupcakes available in the bakery.

“I SPENT $54 ON CUPCAKES JUST TO BE A B----,” her post read. “HAPPY EASTER.”

Though Blossom admitted the move was “petty,” many on social media praised her response, including the bakery.

Designer Desserts-Valparaiso wrote on Facebook Wednesday that the incident was “unsettling.”

“Geeze people, its a cupcake shop, if it wasn't for all of us thick 'n juicy Americans who love to indulge in sweets, I wouldn't have a business,” the post read. “So please, if you are the one who made these remarks, unlike my page and please buy your cupcakes elsewhere, and for anyone else who feels it necessary to be so uncouth, please take your business elsewhere, as we will ask you to leave if we hear things like this.”

Blossom, whose initial post was shared more than 26,000 times, later noted that the bakery has since sent cupcakes to her work “two days in a row.”

“I am honestly so thankful for these guys and everything they have done for me,” she wrote.



Photo Credit: Brad Wolf/Designer Desserts

New London to Sue Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors

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As the opioid crisis continues to take a grip on cities and towns across the state of Connecticut and other states, the City of New London plans to sue opioid drug manufacturers and distributors. 

New London Mayor Michael Passero said the city will file a lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court in an attempt to hold the drug manufacturers and distributors accountable for the damages incurred by New London in dealing with the opioid epidemic. 

A news release from the city says New London, its agencies and personnel have “devoted an increasingly large portion of the city’s resources on public health, social and human services, law enforcement, police, fire and first responders, and outreach initiatives designed to combat the crisis” and they want the companies, rather than the taxpayers, to bear these costs. 

“Tragically the opioid crisis has devastated my city. Between 2016 and 2018 there have been 16 opioid fatalities in New London, a community with a population of only 27,000 people,” Passero said in a statement. 

City officials said there were also 187 non-fatal overdoses between 2016 and 2018. 

“Enough is enough,” Passero said in a statement. “These companies knew that they were leading people into the gripping disease of addiction. …” 

In February, the U.S. Justice Department said it would support local officials in hundreds of lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of powerful opioid painkillers. 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Dow Plunges as Trade War Fears Rattle Wall Street

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Stocks fell sharply on Friday as worries of a trade war brewing between the U.S. and China grew, CNBC reported. Wall Street also digested disappointing employment data.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 593 points, with Boeing and Caterpillar as the biggest decliners in the index. The S&P 500 declined more than 2 percent, with industrials as the worst-performing sector. The Nasdaq composite dropped 2.2 percent.





Photo Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images, File

Services Held for Fallen Trooper

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Family, friends and thousands of police officers from across the country gathered in East Hartford, some standing out in snowfall, to honor Trooper First Class Kevin Miller.

Miller, who served Connecticut State Police for nearly 20 years, died in the line of duty last week during a crash on Interstate 84 in Tolland.

Trooper David Piela spoke during the funeral about his colleague, a man who loved his family and was devoted to public service and providing for his children, Ryan and Sarah.

"Everything he did everyday was for his children, who he loved dearly," Piela said.

As a law enforcement professional, Miller developed a reputation for being there, not only for his fellow troopers, but also for those with whom in came in contact and dignitaries, including Gov. Dannel Malloy and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, attended the service.

"Kevin, please know that you made a difference in the lives of others and we will continue to carry on that mission with your memory forever in our hearts and minds," Colonel George Battle, the commanding officer, of Connecticut State Police said.

Troopers and police officers gathered at Rentschler Field hours before the funeral started at 11 a.m. in a show of respect and several stood at attention, even as the snow began to fall.

Dale Hourigan, a retired Connecticut State Police Major, was part of the band that played.

“We're here to send him off appropriately and say farewell to a brother,” Hourigan said. “It's a tough day.” 

Police came from all over to pay their respects for a brother. 

“We come together at times like this to re-enforce that so they know no matter what the situation, no matter what the weather, we are always here for them,” Captain Michael Jankowiak, of New York State Police, said. 

Trooper Kelly Grant said the support from law enforcement from across the country makes Connecticut State Police “feel much better of course to know that our fellow law enforcement from across the state and the country are here to help us pay respects to Trooper First Class Kevin Miller.” 

Frank Sutton called in the help of the Providence Canteen and Chris Palmer, of the Providence Fire Department, made the two-hour trip, leaving at 5:30 a.m. to be there for the mourners. 

“Providing all the breakfast here for the troopers this morning,” Palmer said. 

When the time came to make that final march, troopers steadily made their way in the snow to say their final goodbye. 

“Sad day for law-enforcement and for the Connecticut state police and certainly for trooper Miller's family,” Hourigan said.

Trooper Miller was a 19-½-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police. A fund has been set up to help his family. 




Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Trump Threatens China With Tariffs in Escalating Trade War

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Administration officials stress this is only a proposal and so far, the tariff threats are only a war of words, but China has already made threats of their own. Chinese leaders say they are prepared to tax 50 billion dollars in American products, from soy beans to jumbo jets. 

Hackers Target Avon Couple's Cell Phone Service

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It’s an experience Dominick Violante and his wife hopes they never have to deal with again.

“It’s frightening, especially when you hear a lot of the stories going around today about what happens to people’s ID when it’s stolen,” said Dominick Violante.

Violante said the couple has been longtime AT&T customers. The company informed them that their account was flagged as fraudulent because hackers got access their username and password. They used that access to purchase multiple cell phones that they charged to the Violante’s account. At that point, AT&T suspended the Violante's service.

The Avon residents filed a police report while AT&T completed an internal investigation.

“They were able to turn the phone back on. But the only function of the phone was just phone calls. No text or emails you could get with your phone,” Violante said.

Violante said they waited days and weeks for the outcome of that investigation.

“We didn’t know what happened or where it would go from there and what other effects it would have on credit cards and so on and so forth,” Violante said.

He contacted NBC Connecticut Responds and we got the ball rolling.

“AT&T offered to pay for one month of our cell phone bill and that was it,” Violante said.

AT&T gave the couple a $395 credit on their recent bill, according to Violante.

But the couple paid $800 to sign up for Identity theft monitoring and protection to avoid financial injury.

“After we signed up for protection, the company called up and said they had spotted her name on the dark web. And that was two days after her identity was stolen,” said Violante.

An AT&T spokesperson released this statement to NBC Connecticut Responds:

“We took immediate action to protect this customer’s account once we became aware of suspicious activity. We have since been in contact with the customer to assist further. The customer’s social security number was not accessed or used here.”

AT&T said that as a goodwill gesture, it gave Dominick a break on his bill. They said the fraudsters accessed the couple’s account by using their ID and password and not through AT&T’s network. Because their social security number wasn’t compromised, AT&T said it didn’t offer them credit monitoring service.



Photo Credit: Submitted Photo

Dramatic Bodycam Video Shows Shootout With Police

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The Volusia County Sherriffs Office released bodycam video of a shootout between police and a man who shot his estranged wife in front of their children in 2016. The woman and her three children were rescued by police and the man was arrested.

Assault Rifles Explained: What They Are and How They're Used

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In the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, there has been a national conversation about banning assault rifles. But what defines an assault rifle is up for debate. Here is everything you need to know about assault rifles.

CT Transit Worker Arrested After Stabbing Caught on Camera

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A CT Transit employee is facing assault and other charges after police say he slashed a bus passenger in the face.

The incident happened on Wednesday on a street in downtown Hartford.

A surveillance video shows two men involved in verbal altercation that eventually turned violent.

The passenger involved had been riding the bus with a woman and was pushing a stroller with two babies.

The group got into a disagreement with the bus driver over the bus fare and got off the bus, according to police.

As they got off the bus, an off-duty CT Transit employee, later identified by police as 35-year-old Elrado McKenley, got into and argument with the victim on the sidewalk.

The argument escalated into a physical fight and McKenley stabbed the victim in the face before walking away, according to police.

Hartford police used surveillance video from a local business to identify McKenley. He was arrested on felony assault charges, and two counts of risk of injury to a child.

CT transit officials say both McKenley and the driver of the bus, whose name they are not releasing, are suspended until they complete their own investigation.



Photo Credit: CT Transit

Calif. Boy Thanks 'Heroes' for Rescuing Him From Sewer

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The 13-year-old boy who fell into a sewer pipe during a family Easter celebration at Los Angeles' Griffith Park thanked rescuers on Friday for saving his life.

"I'm so thankful for everyone who was involved in my rescue. Because of them, I'm back with my family," Jesse Hernandez said.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti began the event by praising authorities for teamwork that led to the teen's rescue.

"All you have to do is look behind me to see who the Angels in this city are," Garcetti said.

Garcetti then addressed Hernandez.

"You never gave up hope and we are so proud that your spirit helped you to survive and to be here today," Garcetti said.

Hernandez was located in a pipe about a mile east of where he fell Sunday at the sprawling urban park between the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood after a methodical 12-hour search of the drainage system. Searchers using closed-circuit cameras that were lowered into the pipes noticed what appeared to be hand marks on one of the pipe walls, leading rescuers to a section of pipe near where the 134 Freeway passes underneath the 5 Freeway.

Sanitation workers Michael Adams and Kurt Boyer opened a maintenance hatch and found Jesse inside.

"We were ecstatic that we were able to find him, and grateful," Adams said. "We all kept up hope throughout the night."

"He's got to be the toughest kid I've ever seen," Boyer said. "We don't even go in the sewer. I can't imagine what he went through."

LAFD Fire Capt. Erik Scott said the sanitation crews played a major role in finding Jesse. They identified the most likely areas where Jesse would be found — an area that included about 6,400 feet of sewer line, 2,400 feet of which were searched when he was discovered. 

"It does feel like a miracle," Scott said. "Mouths dropped when that hatch was opened and we got reports back that Jesse was alive."

They further narrowed the search area after noticing the hand markings on the closed-circuit camera feed from inside a pipe. There were two cameras floating from each side of the 6,400-foot search area identified by the sanitation department.

"It appears he was trying to get out," said LA Sanitation Department Assistant Director Adel Hagekhalil. "Right away, our team focused on that location."

Sanitation workers opened the maintenance hatch and saw Jesse about 11 feet down in the pipe. The section of pipe was large enough for him to breathe and stand. 

"The first thing they heard is, 'Help!'" Hagekhalil said. "They were thrilled."

Workers lowered a hose down to the boy and pulled him up. Fire-rescue team members provided immediate medical aid and transported the boy to a hospital in serious condition. He will be decontaminated due to possible toxic substances in the pipes, Scott said.

Jesse was given a cell phone so he could speak with his parents, who Scott described as "overwhelmed" with joy. Family members wrapped in blankets stayed at the search command post overnight.

The boy was taken to a hospital for a full evaluation and to be reunited with his family. 

In an interview with NBC4 on Monday, Jesse said he was tired and a bit scraped up, but otherwise OK. 

"I was praying to God to help me and to not die," Jesse said.

He spent nearly 12 hours trapped in the sewer system underneath Griffith Park before rescuers got to him. 

"It was all quiet. You could just hear the water running through and you couldn't see anything. It was dark," Jesse added. 

An "extensive" multi-agency search by air and on the ground continued overnight after Jesse fell about 25 feet into a drainage system. More than 100 firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department were on scene at 5254 West Zoo Dr. in Hollywood around 4:30 p.m. after witnesses reported the fall. 

Jesse was jumping on a wooden plank atop a concrete building when the plank gave out underneath him, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The area, a decommissioned LA city sanitation facility, was fenced off, authorities said.

Jesse then fell into a drainage pipe, which was full of low-flow running water and sewage. The pipe system feeds down to the Los Angeles River and due to water and gasses in the system, the environment would be difficult for one to breathe, officials said. 

Devin Hernandez described his friend Jesse as "really nice" and said they had earlier been playing soccer together before parting ways so each of their families could do an Easter egg hunt. 

"It's sad that this happens to him because he just came to the park to have fun," he said.

Aerial footage from NewsChopper4 showed search activity at the drainage system in Griffith Park, a nearby water treatment facility and the LA River. 

The Department of Sanitation and LAFD worked closely to map out the closed system of sewage pipes "which requires a detailed search along each possible path of travel," according to the fire department. LAFD's Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces also mounted a specialized camera on a flotation device which was tethered to a rope and extended 300 feet down a pipe. Firefighters were also using gas meters during the hours-long search. 

Shortly after 10 p.m., LAFD announced that specialized "closed circuit" cameras were being brought in to further the search. The cameras "have more advanced capabilities including lighting and the ability to attach to a pontoon which will crawl along the pipe." 

The pipes are four feet in diameter with varying depths of water moving at approximately 15 mph, the department added. 

The fire department was assisted by the LAPD, the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks, Park Rangers, the Department of Water and Power and the Department of Sanitation. 



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV
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Vehicle Drives Into Crowd in Germany; 30 Injured: Police

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A vehicle has driven into a small crowd in Muenster, Germany, injuring 30 people on Saturday, German police confirmed to NBC News.

The suspect killed himself at the scene, police said.

The Associated Press reported that police said three people were killed. NBC News has not independently verified reports of deaths.

Police in Muenster tweeted shortly after the incident that "the situation continues to be unclear" and to avoid the area near the Kiepenkerl pub. Kiepenkerl is a popular bar in the city's historic downtown area.

A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "our thoughts are with the victims and their families," adding that the incident was "terrible news."

This story is developing. Refresh the page for updates.



Photo Credit: Google

Silver Alert Issued For Missing 76-Year-Old East Haddam Man

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Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing 76-year-old East Haddam man.

Robert Torzsa was last seen on Friday, according to police.

There is no description of the clothes he might be wearing, but police said he may be driving a tan 2014 Chevy Equinox with the license plate number 582-MOF.

Anyone with information on Torzsa's whereabouts should call State Police Troop K in Colchester at (860) 465-5400.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

1 Dead After Fire Erupts on 50th Floor of Trump Tower

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A man died after a fire erupted in an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in Midtown on Saturday evening, authorities say.

The FDNY said six firefighters suffered burns and other non-life-threatening injuries in addition to the 67-year-old man, an occupant of the apartment who had been in critical condition following the blaze. The NYPD identified him late Saturday as Todd Brassner.

Firefighters responded to an automatic alarm after the fire broke out in a large apartment on the 50th floor of the tower, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a press conference. 

A barage of fire trucks could be seen surrounding the Fifth Avenue building shortly after the fire started shortly before 6 p.m. Nigro said about 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Videos on social media show thick, black smoke and flames rising from the building as people watch below.

Nigro said "the apartment was virtually, entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived. Neighbors said Brassner had an extensive guitar collection in the apartment. 

Three firefighters were taken to hospital with minor injuries, while three more were treated at the scene. Nigro said the cause of the inferno is not yet known.

Shortly before 8 p.m., the FDNY tweeted that the fire was under control. 

President Donald Trump has an office and a penthouse home in the building, but he was not in New York on Saturday. Nigro said the Secret Service checked the president's residence at some point and that there was no fire damage. 


Trump reacted to the fire on Twitter, saying: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron Trump, were both in Washington, D.C., according to the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham. 

"The Secret Service can confirm that no protectees or members of the First Family were present at the time of the fire," a Secret Service spokesman told NBC News. "Ongoing Secret Service security operations remain in place. There have been no injuries to any Secret Service personnel."

Trump's son, Eric Trump, also took to Twitter to thank firefighters and police for their quick response. 

"Thank you to the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment at @TrumpTower. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!"

New York Senator Chuck Schumer also reacted to the fire on Twitter, writing: "Thinking tonight of those lost and injured in the fire that broke out in Trump Tower today, and incredibly thankful to the @FDNY for their work that kept more NYers from harm."

According to the city's Department of Buildings, there have been no complaints in the past year and a half about any fire issues at Trump Tower.



Photo Credit: @PeterThomasRoth/Twitter
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Man Killed in Hit-and-Run on I-84 in Danbury

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State police are investigating a hit-and-run on Interstate 84 in Danbury.

Troop A in Southbury received a 911 call around 1 a.m. Saturday reporting a person lying on the highway.

Troopers arrived at the scene just prior to Exit 2 in the westbound lanes and found a Jeep on the right shoulder and a person lying dead in the right lane.

The victim was identified as 32-year-old Daniel Crawford, Jr., of Brewster, New York.

State police said the vehicle or vehicles that hit him left the scene.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Body Recovered Near Cliff Crash Site in California

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California Highway Patrol received a call regarding a found body near the recent Hart family crash in Mendocino County Saturday afternoon.

The call came in at about 2 p.m. about a reported female body in the surf of the Pacific Ocean at Juan Creek and HWY. 1 in Westport.

Upon arrival, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office conducted a coroner's investigation and the body appears to be that of one of the missing Hart children, though it is not confirmed.

A cause of death is unknown but an autopsy will be conducted on Tuesday.

The sheriff's office is investigating the possibility of the body being one of the missing Hart girls but identification is still not clear.

Mystery continues to surround Mendocino County as three children remain unaccounted for following a car accident on HWY. 1 that killed their parents and three siblings on March 26.

A total of eight Bay Area crews continued the search of the three children ages 12, 15 and 16 last Wednesday, combing the beach and water looking for any sign of them in the city of Fort Bragg.

“We had 74 searchers out today,” said Lt. Shannon Barney from the Mendocino County Sherriff’s Office, “We wanted to cover the beaches at low tide, so that if anything drifted up, we could find it before the storm comes in tomorrow.”

A helicopter, mountain rescue teams and resources from San Mateo to Mendocino, focused on the missing children who may or may not have been aboard an SUV barreled off a cliff.

However, search crews were unable to find anything of value in the quest to find Hannah, Devonte and Sierra Hart.

The only visual confirmation of the family before the crash is a surveillance photo of someone believed to be Jennifer Lawrence, a mother of the six adopted kids, buying groceries at Safeway the morning of the tragedy.

“It’s sort of like walking around, like it feels like there are ghosts around, or something,” said Fort Bragg resident Quinn Fields.

In a town as small as Fort Bragg, the tragic accident 20 miles north of the California coastline has left people feeling shaken.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a car accident, but there’s that like slow motion moment before like impact, or whatever- but I can’t imagine hurtling off of a cliff, and what those poor kids must have been thinking,” said Fields.

Mendocino County residents have places pinwheels and flowers next to the Juan River, where the family’s SUV crashed.



Photo Credit: CHP
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