An 18-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in a stabbing in Norwalk Tuesday and now police are searching for a suspect.
Police said it happened just after 4 p.m. at 24 Belden Ave., near the Norwalk courthouse. The man was rushed to Norwalk Hospital for treatment.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Norwalk police at 203-854-3011. Anonymous tips can be left at 203-854-3111.
A 15-year-old Guilford High School freshman who died after a shooting in Guilford accidentally shot himself, according to a report from the State’s Attorney.
On January 31, police were called to 104 Seaside Ave. for reports of a gunshot victim and found 15-year-old Ethan Song. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
At the time, police said Song was with another teen and no adults were home at the time of the shooting. Song did not live in the home, police said.
In a report released Tuesday, the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s office said investigation determined that Son accidentally shot himself in the head with a .357 magnum handgun, calling the death a “horrific and preventable tragedy.”
According to the report, the weapon was stored with two others in a cardboard box inside large Tupperware in a master bedroom closet of the home. Each weapon had a gun lock and there was no evidence that the weapons were loaded, but investigators determined that the keys to those locks and ammunition for the guns were also hidden in the closet.
The report goes on to say that it appears juveniles had played with the guns several times, then returned them to their original hiding place to avoid detection. Investigators said there is no evidence that the gun owner knew the juveniles had accessed the guns.
The State’s Attorney’s report said the circumstances of the case do not support prosecution of the gun owner. The storage of the weapons did not violate Connecticut law, nor is there any evidence that the gun owner knew or should have known that juveniles could access the guns without permission.
The Song family has established the Ethan Miller Song Foundation in honor of their son, with a mission to raise awareness about gun safety and to teach children about the dangers of distracted driving and opioid abuse.
The Trouble in Toyland 2018 report by the consumer group Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG, is out and warning parents about some popular holiday gifts.
At Connecticut Children's Medical Center ConnPIRG spoke about their report showing different toys they say parents should watch out for. One of the main items they focused on: slime.
"This slime has been tested, and it has dangerous levels of boron in it, often in the form of borax. That's 15 times the limit of the EU limit," said Shawna Upton with ConnPIRG.
The report shows they tested slime from six different companies and that Kangaroos Original Super Cool Slime had the highest level of boron of the six. Kangaroo told NBC Connecticut that all of their products meet federal requirements.
Another toy that received ConnPIRG's attention was Haktoys ATS Battery Operated Bump & Go Action F-182 Fighter Jet 8-inch Plane. The attention came not from what was in it but what came out of it.
"We have here a very noisy toy which does pose a significant threat to children's hearing because of the amount of loud noise and the long-term damage it can have on hearing which can then affect a child's ability to learn," said Emily O'Hara with ConnPIRG.
NBC Connecticut reached out to Haktoys but has not yet heard back.
At Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Dr. Steven Rogers, an emergency department physician spoke about the Trouble in Toyland report.
"The statistics we hear from ConnPIRG really match what we see in the emergency department. We see lots of choking issues with small parts, we see lots of riding toys like scooters for the older children who have fallen off those toys and injured themselves," said Dr. Rogers. "I think parents want to get kids what they want. They want to make them happy, but we have to think safety first as parents."
Following today's release of the report, the Toy Association fired back saying US toy safety standards are among the strictest in the world.
"Year after year, organizations like PIRG come out with these reports and they are filled with false and misleading information – intentionally to scare parents. What parents can be assured is that all toys sold in the United States need to comply with some of the strictest requirements…with these requirements," said VP Toy Association VP Rebecca Mond.
With potentially the coldest Thanksgiving on record forecast for Thursday, Gov. Dannel Malloy has activated the state’s severe cold weather protocol.
The protocol will be in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning. The activation means the state will coordinate with Connecticut’s network of shelters. There will be shelters and warming centers open around the state. Those looking for a warm place to go can contact 211 or visit www.211ct.org.
Temperatures are expected to be bitterly cold as a strong Canadian high-pressure system dips down over New England sending temperatures from the 40s early in the week into the 20s by Thanksgiving.
Dangerously cold air will be in place Thanksgiving morning and into the afternoon. Wind chill values could range from -5 to -15 throughout the state.
This could also be the coldest Thanksgiving on record. Records for the Hartford area go back to 1905.
For more on the forecast, click here.
A hung jury mistrial has been declared in the case of a 22-year-old man accused of murdering a young woman when she went out for a run in her Queens neighborhood more than two years ago.
A family member of Vetrano could be heard saying "Oh, my God" in the courtroom as the mistrial of Chanel Lewis was declared.
Jurors said they were split and that it didn't seem as though they would make progress one way or another by deliberating any further.
The judge agreed, saying that although it had been only a day and a half, it seemed as though the jury had exhausted all routes.
Jury deliberations started Monday and continued into Tuesday night. The jury, comprised of seven and five men, asked to review evidence like pictures of Vetrano's neck injuries and a photo of her necklace, photos of the autopsy, photos of the running trail, and Lewis' web searches. They also asked to rewatch Lewis' confession tape.
The judge read back 75-page testimony from the medical examiner regarding DNA evidence.
A control hearing about what happens next is scheduled for Jan. 22.
Lewis had pleaded not guilty to murder and sexual abuse charges in the Aug. 2, 2016 death of 30-year-old Karina Vetrano. He was 20 when he allegedly sexually assaulted and strangled Vetrano, abandoning her body in the marsh.
Vetrano had gone out for her usual run early that evening. She never came home. Her father, Phil Vetrano, was among the group that found her body in Howard Beach's Spring Creek Park hours after she was reported missing.
Phil Vetrano broke down on the stand as he testified about the horror.
“I let out this sound that I — that I never made before or since. It was — I don’t know. It was like a wail,” he recalled. “And then I screamed, ‘My baby, my baby.’”
Lewis, who was 20 when he allegedly sexually assaulted and strangled Vetrano, was arrested in the killing about six months after her death. Prosecutors said he was connected to the case via DNA evidence obtained from underneath Vetrano's fingernails. The medical examiner had said she fought for her life.
In a confession tape played during the trial last week, Lewis was heard saying he was angry about the loud music his neighbor had been playing when he encountered Vetrano jogging on the park trail.
“While you were in the park, did something happen?” Assistant District Attorney Peter McCormack asks Lewis on the tape, which is dated Feb. 5, 2017.
“Yes,” Lewis replied.
Lewis then admits that he “got angry and started hitting [Vetrano]” in the face and mouth, video shows.
At some point during the attack, Vetrano’s tooth broke, he says, adding that Vetrano’s face ended up in a pool of water.
Lewis also admits to putting his hands around Vetrano’s neck and hitting her for about five minutes, before dragging her “somewhere off the pathway.”
Her clothing was “pulled off,” but Lewis denies sexually assaulting her.
Lewis' defense lawyers claimed in closing arguments that a confession was obtained under duress and the evidence in the case was weak.
They said the DNA found on the Vetrano's body was minuscule, and that police were eager to make an arrest six months after her body was found.
"This is a rush to judgment," one of Lewis' lawyers said.
The defense also claimed there was sloppy police work, starting with the crime scene when Vetrano's father lifted up and hugged her lifeless body when he found her. He broke down on the stand as he testified about the horror last week.
The defense said because of that, "The crime scene became corrupted for the first time. You can't blame Mr. Vetrano for what he did. He did what any dad would do."
They said the entire case was based on a rush to judgment and that prosecutors lacked the burden of proof.
There was a show of support Tuesday for a West Hartford family dealing with anti-Semitism.
At a school board meeting, the Jacksons shared how their daughter at Hall High School was recently victimized by a classmate.
"The student stated, ‘Jews always think they have all the authority,’" said Kim Jackson.
Kim Jackson says her daughter, a junior, tried to keep working in the chemistry class.
"Within minutes after making this comment, while the group was using large beads to model molecules, the student created a swastika with the beads and placed it in front of her. The student remarked, 'Is this the right compound?'" said Jackson.
The Jacksons say their daughter reported the incident to her teacher and the administration.
But then the family was shocked when they found out days later the student was still allowed to play in a football game for the school.
"My question tonight is where is the accountability? What are we teaching children that they can do or say anything they want and there won’t be any meaningful consequences?" said Jackson.
The Jacksons think there needs to be clear cut punishments for situations like this.
School board chair Carol Blanks and the rest of the board say they were disturbed by the anti-Semitism and that bigotry in any form is unacceptable.
They promise they are reviewing school policies.
"There’s always room for improvement and that’s our job, as both the district and board, to make sure that happens," said Blanks.
NBC Connecticut asked the school board chair if they’d be reviewing how this situation was handled, and were told the principal has discretion as of now.
A California sheriff says the list of names of those unaccounted for after a deadly wildfire has increased to 870.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea says the additional 171 names came from a backlog of voicemails that detectives worked through Tuesday.
Authorities stressed that many of the people on the list may be safe and unaware they have been reported missing.
Honea says two more sets of human remains were found Tuesday, bringing the total number killed in the so-called Camp Fire to 81.
The blaze that started Nov. 8 leveled Paradise, destroying more than 13,000 homes. Fire officials said the wildfire has torched 152,250 acres and is 75 percent contained.
In just a few weeks, Connecticut will reflect on the sixth anniversary of the darkest day in state history, the tragedy at Sandy Hook, a day where 26 families were forever changed.
NBC Connecticut’s Keisha Grant sat down with Newtown mother Nelba Marquez-Greene for a valuable lesson in grief.
"I can't imagine my love for Ana growing any less today, tomorrow than it was on December 13, 2012,” Marquez-Greene said.
That was the last day that she saw her daughter alive.
"People sometimes feel like this pain will be less as time goes on, but that's a misconception of grief."
Ana Grace was just 6 years old when her bright eyes and dazzling smile were taken from this world.
"A lot of people don't know, we only moved to Newtown four months before the shooting,” Marquez-Greene said.
Not a day goes by that she doesn’t mourn her precious little girl. It’s been her new normal since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary.
"I think there are a lot of people who watched in horror as it unfolded and…I think they are rooting for us to survive,” Marquez-Greene said.
She is surviving, one moment at a time.
"It is very difficult to answer the question of 'how are you?' especially if I know that the person is a mother, or a parent or grandparent because I know they would not be able to live a day in my shoes,” Marquez-Greene said.
Marquez-Greene sometimes she holds back speaking her true feelings, because it can be too difficult not just for herself, but others.
"Very often I'm in protection mode," she explained. "I'm going to keep you from this because you really wouldn't be able to handle it."
But Marquez-Greene found a place for that painful dialogue, on Twitter.
"It's been a beautiful outlet for me," she said.
Her tweets are real. And raw.
And each one is a real-time story of survival.
"It allows a lot of people an inside look at what grief looks like,” she said.
As Nelba uses her voice to honor her daughter’s memory, she’s living each day for her son Isaiah. He too was at Sandy Hook on that day, and he survived.
"We didn't want him to say when he got older- I lost my sister and then I lost my parents," Marquez-Greene said.
It’s a journey thousands of followers across the globe are taking with her.
"I think we have made grief very real for people.”
She pours all that emotion and purpose into The Ana Grace Project, the foundation that bears her little girl’s name.
Their mantra is simple: Love wins.
"We want to reduce school violence. We want every child to feel like they have other options and that they have opportunity," Marquez-Greene said.
She runs the foundation from an office at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. It’s her sacred space surrounded by inspiration, and daily reminders that love really can conquer all.
"I met my husband for the first time on the campus of CCSU -my face is getting really smiley when I talk about this." She was 15.
Giving back to the New Britain community is close to her heart, from adopting city classrooms to exposing children to higher education, Marquez-Greene’s work is enriching a community that’s embraced her family on their darkest days.
"People heal after trauma when they are provided with a sense of safety and a sense of control and being here has allowed that to happen for me."
It’s all part of her journey, teaching others to navigate the inevitable.
This year, she’ll drive out the darkness of December 14 with the Love Wins Community Drive.
CCSU, The Ana Grace Project and the Consolidated School District of New Britain will team up to collect toys, winter clothing, toiletries, and food for New Britain for families in need. You can learn how to volunteer or donate by clicking here.
"It's just another way we keep her memory alive and it's a way we can make our son quite proud when he sees the way we are handling our grief,” Marquez-Greene said.
New Haven Police are investigating a serious crash on Wednesday morning.
The crash was near Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and Washington Avenue and happened before midnight.
It is unclear how many vehicles were involved or if anyone was hurt.
Route 69 in Prospect is closed after a car hit a pole.
It happened in the area of Rosewood Drive.
One person is dead and five people have been injured in a three-car fire on the Brooklyn Bridge, police say. The bridge was initially closed due to the deadly fire, but has since reopened lanes.
The blaze broke out about 7:14 a.m and was put out before 8 a.m. Four cars were involved in an accident and three cars erupted in flames, officials said.
Video from the bridge during the fire showed a large plume of black smoke coming from the three cars. Commuter Steven Miller came across the accident, and video he shot shows two cars in a ball of flames on the bridge, black smoke pouring into the sky. In the video, another commuter is heard saying he thought he saw a person in one of the vehicles.
Traffic was affected on and around the bridge for hours, with some drivers stuck on the bridge for more than two hours.
Check below for latest commuter and transit updates.
A police officer was involving in a crash when another driver made a sudden U-turn in front of him in the area of 2964 Main St. in Hartford, according to police.
The officer was not injured and the other driver suffered slight injuries, police said in a statement.
Pay close attention while prepping your turkey and exercise extreme care when setting up your holiday decorations. Statistically, you'll be playing with fire.
There are more in-home fires during the holiday season than at any other time of the year, according to data from the National Fire Protection Association. Thanksgiving is the single worst day for fires, NBC News reported.
An estimated 2,090 home fires were reported to fire departments around the United States on Thanksgiving 2016, according to the association. That’s more than twice the daily average for the rest of the year. Of the Thanksgiving fires, three-quarters were cooking-related. On average, Thanksgiving fires killed five people, injured 25 and caused $19 million in property loss from 2014 to 2016, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Distractions are the main cause of cooking fires, according to the NFPA, adding that hosts are inclined to talk to guests instead of managing the kitchen at all times. To stay safe during the holidays, experts suggest keeping combustible items like aprons and towels away from flames, installing or checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and paying attention while cooking.
Big balloons, colorful floats and famous stars will fill the streets of New York City Thursday for the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Hosted on the national holiday by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, the three-hour event will air at 9 a.m. in all time zones. An encore presentation will air at 2 p.m.
Watch the parade live online Thursday by clicking here and logging in with your TV provider.
Special musical guests are expected to include Barenaked Ladies, John Legend, Leona Lewis, Martina McBride, Rita Ora, Pentatonix, the cast and Muppets of "Sesame Street" and Diana Ross and her family.
Also watch for an expected performance by the Radio City Rockettes, as well as appearances from beloved balloons including Charlie Brown, Olaf, the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Elf on the Shelf.
A Branford woman is $10,000 richer after winning on a lottery ticket that she said was a tribute to her late son.
Amy Johansson said she decided to buy a couple of CT Lottery "$100,000 Cashword 9" scratch tickets on Tuesday.
She said she scratched off the "your letters" box of the ticket and four of the first 18 letters revealed the name "Eric," followed by the word, "love" within the game's puzzle board.
Johansson's son, Eric, passed away at the age of 24. She said seeing his name on the ticket was a sign of something good.
"At first, I thought I won $100 and I was pretty excited. Then I looked at the ticket again and saw a few more words," she said.
After she scanned the ticket in a lottery ticket checker, she learned she had won a prize far larger than her initial thought. She had won $10,000, the game's second highest prize.
Johansson said the prize is a tribute to her son.
"I feel especially blessed to be given the funds to continue to support 'Smile Anyway' in his memory," said Johansson.
She founded the non-profit organization based in Branford.
"All of the [prize] will be put to good use, to help provide a structured transitional facility for young adults, to make a difference, and to save lives," she added.
Branford Wine & Spirits in Branford will receive a $100 bonus from the CT lottery from selling the ticket, lottery officials said.
Westbrook Outlets in Westbrook will be adding an indoor ice skating rink.
The company said in a news release that the synthetic ice rink will be across from H&M and there will be open skate hours and learn-to-skate lessons.
The rink is expected to open in December and skaters will be able to bring their own skates or rent them at Westbrook Outlets.
Southington police have arrested a local man after receiving a tip that someone was trying to sell an assault rifle and finding several guns, body armor and ammunition in an apartment and storage unit.
Police said the Southington Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, and the Central Region Emergency Response Team served a search warrant on a Darling Street apartment Tuesday and found 24-year-old Quac Hao Lam with a loaded Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun and three fully loaded magazines for the weapon in his pocket.
Lam admitted that he owned six rifles that were in a storage unit, took police there and gave them access to it, according to a news release from police.
In the storage unit, police found two 12-gauge shotguns, two .22 caliber rifles, and one 7.62 mm rifle that were registered to Lam. Police also seized assorted calibers of ammunition, 11 high-capacity magazines, 2 boxes and two belts of shotgun shells and four .22 caliber magazines.
Police said Lam also had a short barreled AR-15 type weapon without a stock in the storage unit and the weapon had no serial number.
In Lam’s apartment, police found four “uncompleted assault rifle lower receiver parts,” five semi-automatic handguns, two stun guns, body armor, high-capacity magazines for handguns, a drill press, tools they said were used to work on or build firearms and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Lam was charged with possession of a handgun without a permit, 29 counts of possession of high capacity magazines and possession of an assault weapon.
He was held on a $250,000 bond and he is scheduled to appear in Bristol Court on Nov. 21.
New Haven Police are investigating an armed home invasion where a woman was pistol whipped and robbed on Tuesday.
Police said 35-year-old Briana Pennell approached officers and reported that she had been pistol whipped and robbed inside of her apartment on the 200 block of Elsworth Avenue.
Pennell told officers that her friend had just left when two men with guns entered her apartment. She said one of the men hit her on the head and pushed her to the floor before stealing $8,000 that she kept tucked inside of her pants.
Pennell said the two men took off toward Elm Street in a silver or grey SUV.
The first robber is described as a man who is approximately 6'0" and 230 pounds with a scruffy beard. He had a black ski mask that he had on the top of his head and left his face uncovered, police said.
The second robber is described as a man who was wearing a black ski mask over his face.
Police said Pennell had five outstanding violation of probation warrants and was arrested.
A school bus is involved in a crash that has closed Boston Post Road in West Haven on Wednesday morning.
Officers were called to Boston Post Road near Farwell Street for a crash involving a utility pole, a school bus and a utility van around 6:15 a.m.
Police said the utility pole was hit by the utility van and was knocked down, which caused damage to the transformers. The transformers are also leaking fluid.
Officers believe the utility van was traveling west on Boston Post Road when it hit the school bus, which was driving into the intersection from Farwell Street.
After the collisions, the utility van landed on its side in the road.
According to police, the driver of the utility van fled on foot after the crash, but before officers arrived. Officers have found and identified the driver.
The school bus did not have any children on board at the time of the accident. The driver of the bus did not report any injuries, but an aide that was on board was transported to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Boston Post Road from Tuthill Street to Norfolk Street is expected to be closed for several hours while officials clean up and repair the downed utility pole.
Farwell Street is also closed from Dalton Street to Boston Post Road.
It’s time to give thanks — for hats, heavy coats and central heating.
Millions of Americans in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states will wake up to the coldest Thanksgiving in more than a century, with high winds even threatening the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, meteorologists said Wednesday.
The mercury in Philadelphia is expected to dip to a bone-chilling 29-degree high on Thursday, with similar shivering temperatures also set for New York and Boston at 26 and 21 degrees, respectively, according to NBC meteorologist Kathryn Prociv. The coldest days in those cities happened in 1901, 1871 and 1873, respectively.
New York City is also bracing for winds between 15 mph and 25 mph on Thursday. Any sustained winds of 23 mph or gusts of 34 mph would ground the massive inflatable balloons of the parade, organizers said. The decision will be made Thursday morning whether those balloons will be in action.
