A New Haven father of three who has sought sanctuary in a New Haven church for nearly seven months to avoid deportation to his native Ecuador spoke at a news conference on Tuesday.

Nelson Pinos said he came to the United States in 1992 for a better life and is the sole provider for his family. He has lived in Connecticut since the summer of 1999 and for more than a dozen years worked in the same factory until he was let go because of his undocumented status.

Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal for Pinos in 2015 and he was not placed in ICE custody but was allowed to check in periodically at an ICE office.

“Mr. Pinos-Gonzalez previously provided proof he intends to comply with his removal order, but subsequently failed to depart as scheduled. As a result, he was designated as an immigration fugitive and will be arrested when encountered, at which time ICE will carry out his removal,” ICE said in a statement.

Pinos decided to take sanctuary in the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church in New Haven almost seven months ago and he's asking federal immigration agents to allow him to stay in the United States.

“If an immigration fugitive seeks sanctuary at a site categorized by ICE as a sensitive location it may delay, but does not void ICE’s authority to enforce a final order of removal against that individual. The removal order against Mr. Pinos-Gonzalez remains in effect,” a statement from ICE says.

President Trump reacted to the Supreme Court's ruling Tuesday morning upholding the third version of his travel ban during a meeting with lawmakers that was focusing on immigration.

Police have arrested a man in connection to three separate burglaries in Middletown on June 19.

Officers say they responded to three separate burglaries in Middletown during the midnight shift. The Citgo on South Main Street, Los Primos on Main Street and the Citgo on Main Street were all burglarized between midnight and 7:00 a.m.

After reviewing video surveillance, investigators learned one person may be responsible for all three burglaries.

According to police, 32-year-old Kyle Evan Harris of Old Saybrook entered all three establishments by forcing himself through the front doors and then took cash and cigarettes.

Harris is now facing charges including burglary, criminal mischief and larceny. He was unable to post his $75,000 bond and will held until he's in court on Thursday.

A woman on a Spirit Airlines flight "became erratic and irate" after the plane had to make an unscheduled landing because of a medical emergency, running up and down the aisles screaming as passengers stared in disbelief, according to a statement from the airline and video from the plane. 

Video from another person on the flight from Houston to Minneapolis shows the woman racing back and forth, screaming and cursing after the flight had to stop in Rochester, Minnesota. The woman is shouting at the top of her lungs, though her utterances apart from the profanity are hardly intelligible. 

Spirit said law enforcement had to help remove the woman from the aircraft. It went on to its destination an hour or so later. The nature of the medical emergency that forced the Rochester stop wasn't clear. 

The video of the irate woman had nearly a million views on Facebook in less than a day. 

Spirit Airlines apologized to passengers "who had to witness this and for the inconvenience of the delay," adding in a statement, "Safety is our top priority at Spirit Airlines."

A 14-month-old is recovering from minor injuries after falling down a ventilation shaft of a home in Waterford on Tuesday morning.

First responders say they received a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. for a 14-month-old baby who had fallen down a ventilation shaft and was stuck between the first and second floor of a home on Woodbine Street.

When firefighters from the Goshen, Jordan and Cohanzie Fire Companies arrived, they say they found the child had fallen approximately 12 feet into a 90 degree elbow of the shaft. The child was conscious and alert.

Firefighters accessed the crawl space below the home and used equipment to disassemble the home's ventilation duct work.

According to first responders, the baby was extricated by 8:04 a.m., which was within 20 minutes of when firefighters arrived.

Officials say the baby appeared to have very minor injuries including abrasions on the stomach and legs. The baby was treated by Waterford EMS and a Lawrence + Memorial paramedic before being transported to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

Multiple lanes are closed on Interstate 91 southbound in Hartford after a rollover crash Tuesday afternoon.

Connecticut State Police confirmed the four left lanes are closed between exits 33 and 32. Traffic is getting by on the far right lane.

Drivers should expect heavy delays in the area.

More information was not immediately available.

Summer break means summer jobs for many teens and young people in Connecticut.

A program in Hartford and East Hartford has spent the last decade helping students get their first jobs, evening paying them for their hands-on experience. But now the program needs more businesses to get involved.

At 16 years old Cameryn Wilson of Hartford is about to be a junior in high school and has very big dreams.

“When I grow up I want to be a pediatric psychiatrist,” said Wilson.

She is taking the right steps by getting a summer job and credits the Community Renewal Team (CRT) Summer Youth Employment Program for helping her get the experience she needed, last year.

“It gave me more experience and more learning techniques and more skills, so I can be fit for this job that I am in now,” said Wilson.

Last summer she had her first job through the CRT program.

“It absolutely changes lives. This is a program that is designed for young people who are ages 14-21, both men and women. So, most of them are in high school and some are already out of school. They are here in Hartford, they are in East Hartford and it's a huge opportunity for them to get that first job and to then take those skills they are learning and apply it to other real life situations down the line,” said Jason Black, the CRT strategic communication specialist.

The young people first apply for the program, then CRT uses funding from a variety of sources, including Capitol Work Force Partners, the Hartford Foundation for public giving, the city of Hartford and state of Connecticut, to pay the teens and young adults to work at various businesses.

Exclusive Line’z in Hartford has participated for the last two years.

“We really love them, we welcome them in and it's our way of giving back to the community in a sense as well,” said Rodney Matthews, the business owner. “There are so many great kids out there and CRT just gets these kids that are really ready, they are not troubled kids, just kids that are ready for the work force.”

Last year Matthews had two teens work for him and he plans to hire more this summer. Each participant puts in 24-40 hours a week between July and August, for up to six weeks. They learn a trade, new skills and help the business without costing a thing.

“It's a great way to save money and just really get some talented help,” said Matthews.

While the CRT Youth Employment Program already has all 190 young people signed up for this year, they still need some employers from businesses in Hartford and in East Hartford.

“This year the program is almost double in terms of the number of participants. So we are actively, actively looking for additional employers who want to participate and it's really great because there is no cost to the employers to participate in the program,” said Black.

CRT manages the program and the payroll, they interview the young people and after a job fair, place them with a business.

“It gave me so many opportunities! So many new experiences,” said Wilson.

Now Wilson hopes new businesses can open their hears and use the help.

“Be open to it, to welcome teens again to have a place to work and get paid for what they do and have a safe place,” said Wilson.

If you own a business in Hartford or East Hartford and are interested in participating in the program, you are asked to call 860-729-0327 or go to CRT’s website by clicking here.

Waterbury police have arrested a man accused of ignoring a school bus stop signal and hitting a 7-year-old boy with his car.

Police said 28-year-old Marques Verner faces charges including avoiding responsibility resulting in physical injury, passing a standing school bus, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle without insurance and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

Police said that Verner was driving the vehicle that blew through the stop signal of a school bus on June 4 and struck a boy in the area of North Main Street and Elizabeth Street, then took off.

The boy was identified by family as Ni'vek Bynum. His family said he suffered a concussion and some bruises, but the injuries were not life-threatening.

Police previously released surveillance video and warned that it might be disturbing because it shows the moment the child was injured. 

Verner was held on a $100,000 bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court on July 30.

Hartford police have a plea for the public to help track down a mother’s killer more than three decades after the crime.

“My biggest frustration is the lack of information we’re getting through tips,” Hartford Police Detective Drew Jacobson told NBC Connecticut.

Thirty-three years ago a Hartford woman was strangled in a wooded area and left to die. The unsolved case has haunted Hartford police for years and tore a family apart.

In June of 1985, the body of 29-year-old Raquel Ramirez was found below Interstate 91 by the Whitehead Highway. On Tuesday Hartford police and the woman’s daughter asked for the public’s help in getting information about her killer who is still out there.

“I’m going to keep trying to fight to get justice for her, so I hope someone has the heart to speak up,” Brenda Perez, Ramirez’s daughter.

Perez was just 10 years old when her mother was strangled in the woods. The petite-framed mother of three that many called “Tiny” was described as having a huge heart.

“She was a down to earth humble person, and she loved everyone. She believed she had it in her power to help every homeless person on the street,” Perez said about her mother.

“This is where my mom begged. She asked for them to stop and they murdered her so it’s not easy.”

Ramirez was last seen near her home on Ward Street, by Wolcott and Park with friends.

“I don’t think Raquel was injured or killed anywhere else and then brought here. Though it’s possible. I think it’d be very difficult to do. I think she was brought down here,” Detective Jacobson said.

“When I walked into the house I see the whole family crying and see whole bunch of detectives in suits and that’s when we were told my mom was found murdered,” Perez added.

Over the years, the case was investigated by Hartford police, the state police, the cold case unit of the state’s attorney’s office and even the FBI. Hartford police said one tip was documented and followed up on a number of different times.

“From a female who calls in identifies a potential suspect or person of interest last seen with her somewhere in 1-3 am on June 30,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson has been working the case hard since 2005, trying desperately to find the murderer. He’s interviewed people he won’t name in recent weeks and said nobody’s been cleared, and admitted difficulty in locating Raquel’s boyfriend at the time.

“I’m not ruling out anything. Whether it’s a person who is a boyfriend, an ex-husband or someone who just knows her. I don’t think Raquel is coming down here without knowing them,” Jacobson said.

Police are hoping the forensic lab can help. They are starting to use new technology on old evidence.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Hartford police at 860.722.TIPS.

Protesters confronted Sen. Mitch McConnell and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, about family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border as the couple left an event at Georgetown University.

Mosquitoes trapped in New Canaan have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to state officials.

In the latest state Mosquito Trapping and Testing Report, officials said that mosquitoes in New Canaan have tested positive for the virus. This is the first positive result this year. To date, 38,337 mosquitoes have been tested.

The mosquitoes were trapped as State of Connecticut Mosquito Management Program. The West Nile virus season typically begins in late June to mid-July and continues through September.

Residents should take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites, such as covering bare skin and wearing insect repellent, especially during dawn and dusk hours.

Most people who are infected with West Nile virus show no symptoms, but less than one percent can develop serious, sometimes fatal neurological illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Agriculture Station, Department of Public Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut are all involved in the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program. There are 91 mosquito-trapping stations across 72 towns throughout the state.

For more information about West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, visit the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program website here.

Experts are warning Connecticut residents to be on the lookout for an invasive plant that can cause skin sensitivities and blisters if touched.

University of Connecticut scientists and the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group issued a warning about giant hogweed, an invasive plant that was first spotted in Connecticut in 2001. 

Giant hogweed can grow up to 15 feet tall with leaves 5 feet long and has a thick, hollow stem. The plant generally blooms in July and has small white flowers that grow in clusters that can be up to 2.5 feet across. Experts say the plant’s sap can cause skin to be sensitive to sun, and can cause blisters.

Experts warn that you should always wear protective gear when handling these plants.

The seeds are elliptical and can survive in the ground for up to seven years. Giant hogweed can overtake native plants and upset balance in areas like riverbeds and woodland edges.

Giant hogweed has been reported in 25 towns in all eight counties over the years. The most recent confirmed reports were in 2011, but there have been recent reports of suspected giant hogweed plants.

UConn said cow parsnip, a plant native to Connecticut, is often mistaken for giant hogweed. There have been multiple reports of giant hogweed in Connecticut this year, but so far all those reports have been negative.

For more information or to report a giant hogweed sighting, click here. 

West Hartford Animal Control came to the rescue of a family of dumpster-diving raccoons Tuesday.

Animal control said the family of four got stuck in a restaurant dumpster while scavenging for leftovers. A delivery person noticed their plight and called for help.

The raccoons were able to climb out when an officer placed a pallet inside the dumpster.

Authorities remind business owners to close dumpsters to prevent animals looking for an easy meal from getting trapped inside.

City of Groton police have released a sketch of a suspect accused of attempting to kidnap a female who was walking along Shore Avenue Monday.

Police said around 3:10 p.m. Monday they received a 911 call from the victim who said she was walking down Shore Avenue near South Prospect Street when a man hiding in the bushes grabbed her and tried to force her into a car. The victim said the vehicle was waiting along the road with the passenger door already opened.

"He was in the hedge. His body was in the hedge and the car door was right there, so that girl couldn't go anywhere but in that truck. And that's where he was pushing her," said Jean Strickland.

Strickland and her granddaughter, Katie Tuohy, were in a car stopped at a stop sign on South Prospect Street when they say they saw a man grab the victim. Strickland says she rolled down the window to see what was going on.

"We asked if she was okay and she said no. And I guess the guy shoved her and she came running to our car, and Katie let her in the back seat," said Strickland. "I said, 'Do you know that man?' and she said, 'No.' And I said, 'Call 911.'"

Strickland said the truck sped off and she tried to follow to get a license plate but soon lost the vehicle. She says they drove to the police department.

"[The victim] was cut. She had cuts on her hand or something," said Strickland. "We were scared. I was scared. [My granddaughter] was scared, and the girl was scared to death."

Witnesses say the victim appeared to be in her teens and told them that she had been out for a walk when she was attacked.

"I saw a white truck here and a female shouting," said Dawn Howe.

Howe was inside her home at the time and says she saw the truck speed away. When she went outside, she didn't see anything. She called police as a precaution and told them what she heard. She says she soon learned from police that the suspect had been hiding in the bushes on the edge of her property.

"It's incredibly frightening," said Howe.

The suspect is described as a man in his early 20s, with an athletic build, between 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans at the time of the incident. Police said he fled in a white GMC pickup.

"I hope they find the guy, that's for sure," said Strickland.

Strickland and her granddaughter, Katie, say they're glad they were there to help, wondering what could have happened if they hadn't been there.

"I feel kind of lucky that we were there and able to get her to the police station," said Katie.

Anyone with information on this case should contact City of Groton Police at 860-445-2451.

Debate raged over Tilcon Connecticut’s proposed expansion plans at a hearing in New Britain Tuesday night.

A city proposal would allow Tilcon Connecticut to expand mining operations onto protected watershed land. But many residents have been against such a plan for years.

”All I ask is the council preserves our watershed protection laws and prevent Tilcon from profiting at the expense of everyone else,” said resident John Sokolowski during public comment.

Tilcon is seeking to expand their quarry on the New Britain and Plainville line into approximately 130 acres of property owned by New Britain, including the Class I and II watershed land which feed the Shuttle Meadow Reservoir in Southington. The parcel is within the borders of Plainville and abuts Southington as well.

Ray Esponda, New Britain’s deputy director of public works in the utilities division, told BC Connecticut “I think it’s an incredible opportunity for us.”

According to the proposal, in exchange for granting Tilcon mineral rights for 40 years, Tilcon would give New Britain, Southington and Plainville a combined 291 acres of open land. The company would also leave behind a massive reservoir which could be helpful in future droughts, according to Esponda.

Environmentalists fear the water supply from that reservoir would not be of the same quality as the water that is currently filtered through the watershed. The State Council on Environmental Quality and the Water Planning Council both issued reports concluding the proposal could have adverse effects on the water and local wildlife.

Paul Zagorsky, a member of a group called Protect Our Watersheds CT, planned to speak out at the hearing against the proposal. He worried allowing the watershed area to be mined would cause irreparable damage, and open the door for other watershed areas to be converted for commercial development.

“Right now Class I and Class II watershed is off the table, can never be used can never be developed. It has one purpose and that’s to feed the reservoirs and water which we drink,” Zagorsky said. “If this opens it up then there are hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the state of Connecticut.”

In a statement to NBC Connecticut, Tilcon said:

“This proposal will allow us to continue to be a major employer and economic contributor for generations to come and will result in the donation of nearly 300 acres of open space land to neighboring communities.”

This is the second time Tilcon is seeking to expand its quarry into protected land. The last effort under former New Britain Mayor Tim Stewart, current Mayor Erin Stewart’s father, failed to gain the needed approval in 2007.

Mayor Erin Stewart released a statement that read, in part:

"Working with the legislature, the City supported a process by which -- prior to consideration of the proposal -- the City would be required to undertake an extensive feasibility study and environmental assessment of the proposal to ensure that the proper issues and potential impacts of the proposal were identified and addressed. To ensure that the most thorough, complete and factual information was produced and made available through the study and assessment process, the City retained a professional engineering and environmental consulting firm, Lenard Engineering, to spearhead that effort. Additionally, the process was conducted in public consultation with the CEQ and the Water Planning Council, who provided input into the scope of the study and made comments on the Lenard findings and report.

"For me, tonight’s hearing is a very critical part of the evaluation process. We will hear a presentation from Lenard, the author of the environmental impact study and report, as well as our City’s Water Department. Most importantly, we will have a chance to hear from the citizens of New Britain and the surrounding communities as to what their views, concerns and observations are regarding the Lenard report. I look forward to and I’m very interested in the input from those citizens and I reserve any thoughts on how or whether to proceed until we have all had a chance to digest the report and to consider the input we will gather tonight."

A pill that is touted to help rein in flu symptoms with a single dose is getting a speedy review from the Food and Drug Administration, NBC News reported.

The pill's manufacturer, Genentech, said Tuesday that the FDA granted a priority review to baloxavir marboxil, with approval possible by the end of the year.

Flu viruses have long been resistent to the first two antiviral flu drugs, and a new flu drug hasn't hit the U.S. market in years.

This drug, already approved in Japan, helps stop viruses replicating earlier in the process than drugs like Tamiflu and is "going to be more convenient ... because it works after a single dose," Genentech vice president Mark Eisner said.

A United Airlines flight was diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport after a passenger on board died from a medical emergency. 

Flight 1888 was traveling from Houston to Boston Wednesday morning when the passenger suffered a medical emergency. The crew used all available medical equipment on board, and had the plane diverted to Dulles, a United spokesperson said. 

It's not clear what the medical emergency was, but the spokesperson said the  passenger died. 

No further details have been released. 

On Tuesday, another passenger died after suffering a medical emergency on an American Airlines flight from London that landed in Philadelphia, NBC10 reported.

One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries after a car rolled over on Main Street in Cromwell Tuesday night. Police said they received several 911 calls at 7:20 p.m. after a car rolled over near Fritch Lane and officers who responded found a car on its roof on Valor Memorial Green.

Police said the vehicle was going north on Main Street, went off the road, hit a curb and rolled over.

Cromwell police officers and firefighters removed the driver, who had been wearing a seatbelt and appeared to suffer only minor injuries.

She was transported to Hartford Hospital for further evaluation.

Cromwell police are investigating the crash and ask witnesses or anyone with information to assist with the investigation to call Officer Carlson at 860-635-2256.

Tears and overwhelming heartache filled a New York City church Wednesday as thousands gathered to mourn the 15-year-old boy killed in a machete attack outside a busy bodega last week, a slaying that has drawn national attention for its caught-on-camera brutality. 

A somber police-escorted procession headed by a silver car ensconced in flowers led the brown-topped hearse carrying the body of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz down the streets from the funeral home to Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, where family and friends remembered the beloved teen who dreamed of being a cop.

Bystanders paused on the street to pay their respects; more crowds lined either sidewalk as the hearse arrived at the church. And a chill fell over the service as mourners, many of them wearing Yankee jerseys in remembrance of Guzman-Feliz's longtime fandom, carried a casket draped in white to the altar. 

The horrifying attack on Guzman-Feliz was captured on video; he was dragged outside the bodega and set upon by a gang of men who hacked at him as he struggled to defend himself. The boy was slashed in the neck and died after running to a hospital three blocks away.

The teen's funeral came a day after authorities announced an eighth arrest in the case, which family members say was a matter of mistaken identity.

Authorities said Tuesday that the eighth person arrested, 23-year-old Elvin Garcia, a Bronx resident, was charged with murder and manslaughter, among other crimes, in connection with the killing.

Six other suspects were arrested in New Jersey and have agreed to be extradited to New York City to face charges in the case, though the specific nature of those charges wasn't immediately clear.

These suspects, men between the ages of 18 and 24 from the Bronx, Long Island, and Paterson, New Jersey, appeared in a New Jersey courtroom Tuesday. One of the suspects hung his head the entire time, unwilling to look up as the judge spoke to him. The others listened quietly through their hearings, stonefaced apart from at least one apparent sneer, responding "sí" or "yes" to questions.

During the press conference, Clark said these six suspects will face charges of murder, manslaughter, gang assault and assault. They will be arraigned Wednesday, Clark said.

The six suspects will be assigned new attorneys once they get to the Bronx. A defense attorney who had represented one of the suspects said Tuesday the men and their families are receiving death threats over the case.

"This case has been all over the news, and their families are all being threatened, children," said Passaic public defender Judy Fallon. "I would ask everyone to please let the system run its course." 

A seventh man who is 19 has already been arraigned on murder and other charges in the boy's death. 

Authorities said the killing may have been linked to the Trinitarios gang. And the NYPD's chief of detectives said he wanted to send out a clear message that authorities "will not tolerate thugs on the street of the Bronx, whether it's Trinitarios or any other gang."

It's not clear if police are looking for additional suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, a memorial has taken over the sidewalk outside the bodega where the boy, who had been part of the NYPD's Law Enforcement Explorers program was killed. It's filled with candles, signs and flowers mourning the teenager affectionately known as "Junior." 

Celebrities including Cardi B and Rihanna have taken to social media to express their sorrow over the boy's killing; former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and wife Lala went to the family's Bronx home when they heard Junior was a fan.