An inmate who is accused of attempting to solicit other inmates to murder a member of his family has been arrested by Connecticut State Police.

Troopers said detectives arrested 29-year-old inmate Joseph Arroyo on Tuesday after a murder-for-hire investigation that began on May 17, 2018.

According to police, Arroyo was incarcerated at the New Haven Correctional Center and was soliciting other inmates to have his brother-in-law killed.

Arroyo was arrested by warrant and was charged with inciting injury to person or property.

Police said Arroyo is currently incarcerated at Osborn Correctional Institution, where he was processed and held on a $500,000 bond.

He remains in the custody of the Department of Corrections and is expected to be arraigned on January 30.

When you think of cold weather, the South Pole, Mount Everest, Siberia and Alaska often come to mind – but Chicago is colder than all of those places Wednesday.

As the city is blanketed by a bout of historic cold, temperature highs aren’t expected to rise above -15 degrees. Lows could reach to near -26 Wednesday, nearing the coldest temperature ever seen in the city.

By comparison, the high for Wednesday in Anchorage is 34 degrees and the low is 24. At the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, the high temperature is -3 and the low is -8.

A 10-degree high is forecast at the Mount Everest Base Camp, along with a low of -1. Even in Siberia, the high for Wednesday is forecast to sit at 8 degrees, with a low of 5.

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The entire Chicago area is under a Wind Chill Warning until noon Thursday.

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Items such as mobile devices and musical instruments can be damaged if left inside a car in freezing temperatures, while canned goods and glass bottles are exploding hazards that could leave you with a sticky mess.

As a deadly polar vortex grips a large swath of the U.S. with record-low temperatures, experts warn these are among the worst items to leave in your car in the frozen weather.

Medication
Some medicines can lose their effectiveness if they freeze, according to the AARP. And liquid medications, like insulin, can separate when it thaws, leading to incorrect or ineffectual dosages. Contact your pharmacist if you have questions.

Cellphones and Tablets
Most cellphones and tablets are susceptible to shutting down in very cold weather, preventing the lithium-ion batteries from discharging electricity and literally freezing your device’s operations, the AARP says. And while the issue is usually fixed when the battery is brought into warmer temperatures, the thawing process can cause condensation inside the unit and short-circuit the battery, potentially voiding your warranty.

Apple recommends operating iOS devices where the ambient temp is between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but says it’s OK to store devices in up to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Samsung cites a similar operating and storage range for its phones.

Soda, Beer and Wine
When water freezes, it expands. So, if you have a bottle of wine or can of soda, beer or other water-based liquid in your car it can explode, leaving you a sticky mess. Water and diet soda freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Regular sodas (with sugar) freeze at about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact freezing point of alcoholic beverages depends on its proof (amount of alcohol per volume). The lower the proof, the warmer the freezing point. Beer that is 5 percent alcohol by volume freezes at 27 degrees Fahrenheit.

Food in Cans or Glass Jars
Canned goods will react similarly to soda if left in a freezing car, the AARP warned. It’s also hazardous for that jar of pickles or salad dressing. Nonliquid canned goods are less prone to burst. If a canned good has exploded, the USDA advises to wrap it in a plastic bag and throw it away "where no one, including animals, can get it." 

Fill’er Up
AAA recommends keeping your gas tank at least half full to help prevent condensation from freezing fuel lines. The group says it's also a good idea to check other fluids such as antifreeze.

Musical Instruments
Guitars and other wood instruments can suffer serious damage in cold weather. The Real School of Music says wood can warp, split, or crack, and the strings may tighten or snap. Once an instrument has been damaged by freezing weather, it can be costly — and sometimes impossible — to repair. At the very least, it will need to be retuned. The Real School of Music advises warming up a frozen instrument gradually.

Latinos are on track to make up a larger share of eligible voters in the 2020 presidential election, more than the share of eligible voters who are black, according to new data from Pew Research Center.

By 2020, 32 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote, just slightly more than the 30 million voters who are black. For Asians, the population is expected to be about 11 million, more than double what it was in 2000.

According to Pew, Hispanics are projected to be about 13.3 percent of the electorate — compared to 12.5 percent for African Americans — making it the largest racial or ethnic minority of the electorate for the first time. In 2016, African Americans made up about the same share at 12.5 percent, while Hispanics were 11.9 percent of the electorate.

White voters will continue to make up the largest share of the electorate, 66.7 percent, but the Latino and Asian growth mean that in 2020 about a third of eligible voters will be non-white.

While thousands of football fans with Super Bowl tickets are converging on Atlanta, two families are mourning young black men who were killed in separate police shootings this month, both of whom are believed to have been unarmed, NBC News reported.

Jimmy Atchison, a 21-year-old father of two, was shot last week after leading police and federal agents executing a warrant on a foot chase. His aunt, Tammie Featherstone, said police put the case "on the back burner because of the Super Bowl," though an Atlanta police spokesman disputed that and said the shooting is still being investigated.

A week before, 18-year-old D'ettrick Griffin was shot while stealing a car at a gas station. It belonged to an off-duty officer; the case is now being investigated by the sheriff's office.

A coalition of civil rights groups has planned a Saturday rally near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played, to highlight Georgia's continuing struggles with policing.

A man wanted by the FBI in connection with the alleged theft of cash from an armored car in Louisville, Kentucky has been captured in Connecticut, according to the FBI in Louisville.

He was arrested near Hartford, according to a Tweet from federal law enforcement that references Wethersfield Police.

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The FBI had been searching for Mark Espinosa, a 29-year-old man with ties to New Britain, since December.

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The FBI Wanted poster for Espinosa said he was working as an armored truck driver near Jefferson Mall in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 5 and he and money from the truck owned by Garda World disappeared.

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Police have not commented on how much cash was missing because it is part of the investigation and said just that a “large amount of U.S. currency” is missing.

An Associated Press report from Dec. 5 says a Garda employee went inside the mall to make deliveries and pickups and returned to find that Espinosa and the cash were gone. Police said a truck usually has two employees.

During a prior news conference, police said they ruled out a random act of violence and believe that Espinosa took steps to plan out the theft and cover up the planning.

It’s not clear what Espinosa’s connection to New Britain is, but police said he has ties to the Northeast and family members on the West Coast, in Texas and in Florida.

No additional information was immediately available about the arrest.

According to the FBI, a federal arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 10 after Espinosa was charged with theft from interstate shipment.

Garda offered a reward up to $50,000 for the recovery of stolen funds and the arrest and conviction of those responsible, officials said during a news conference, and the FBI was offering up to $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Middletown Police have arrested a man who is accused of threatening and strangling his girlfriend during an argument on Monday.

Officers were called to a domestic incident in Middletown around 3:30 p.m. after a woman said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend. The boyfriend was later identified by police as 27-year-old Michael Mangini.

When officers arrived to the address, police found the woman, who said she had been assaulted by Mangini. She told them that she ran out of the house and had been hiding in a neighbor's yard when she called police.

Officers approached the house where Mangini was last seen inside and did not find him. His vehicle was no longer in the area, police said.

According to police, the woman told them Mangini could be in possession of knives or BB guns and he was highly agitated.

The woman told police that Mangini had been living in the basement of her grandparent's house with her for a couple months and she wanted to end their relationship. When the woman told Mangini in a phone call that she wanted to break up, she said that he became upset.

When Mangini arrived home, the woman said he came storming down to the basement and began kicking things and screaming while she was sitting on the bed. When he stopped yelling, she said he stood directly over her with clenched fists, jumped on top of her and hit the side of her head, knocking her glasses off.

While Mangini was on top of the woman, she said he placed his hand around her throat for several seconds, and impeded her ability to breathe. She said she was constantly screaming at him and pleaded for him to get off of her.

After he got off of her, the woman told police that Mangini said he was going to kill her and he later told his father that he would kill him as well.

Shortly after, when Mangini allowed the woman to go upstairs to the bathroom, she said she ran outside and hid in a neighbor's yard to call police.

Soon after the incident, while police were on scene, officers said Mangini's father told them in a phone call that he told Mangini to go to turn himself in. Mangini's father said Michael said he "had a gun, a baseball bat and a knife and that he was going to go down in a blaze of glory."

Mangini is also accused of telling a Middletown Sergeant that he would go to his house and kill his family. Police said Mangini also ranted about dying by suicide by cop.

Later on, Mangini was found in his vehicle traveling on the Arrigoni Bridge, officers said. Police conducted a motor vehicle stop and took him into custody without further incident.

He is facing charges including threatening, strangulation, unlawful restraint, and disorderly conduct.

Mangini is being held on $100,000 bond and was in court on Wednesday.

The Consumer Protection Commissioner has issued a "summary suspension" for the Clubhouse Café in Hamden days after police said they found more than 100 underage customers at the bar.

Police said they conducted a liquor compliance check on Friday night and issued several infractions.

According to a news release from the Department of Consumer Protection, many of the underage customers were Quinnipiac University students who had alcoholic beverages.

“We are deeply concerned as our officers have noticed that Quinnipiac students from nearby are walking intoxicated in the road coming to and from the Clubhouse Café. Due to the repeated offenses and risk that this establishment is causing to our young residents and area college students, any assistance in mitigating the obvious dangers posed to minors who patronize the establishment would be greatly appreciated,” John Cappiello, acting police chief in Hamden, wrote in a letter to Director John Suchy, of the Liquor Control Division, wrote. 

“We don’t take the issuance of a summary suspension lightly, but feel it is warranted in this instance. Serving underage patrons is a very serious offense, and our partnerships with local police, other state agencies, and community organizations are all needed to keep this from happening in our communities,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull said in a statement.

Baby wipes, Q-Tips, bottled water and expensive dinners were all part of an elaborate embezzlement scheme by powerful electricians' union leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty and Philadelphia Councilman Bobby Henon, according to a federal charging document unsealed Wednesday morning.

Dougherty, whose brother sits on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, exerted complete control over the union, according to the 116-count indictment, using that power to "repeatedly and persistently steal its funds and put his own self-interests over that of the membership."

He also helped propel Henon, a Local 98 staffer, into a powerful leadership position on the Philadelphia City Council to apply pressure to other trade groups and businesses, prosecutors allege.

“I don’t give a f--- about anybody, all right, but f---ing you and us, and you know that," Henon told Dougherty in 2015 when reassuring him about their quid pro quo relationship.

All told, the defendants, which included several IBEW Local 98 union employees and associates, misspent more than $600,000 in union funds, officials said.

The sweeping 160-page presentment alleges that Dougherty and his co-defendants conspired to embezzle union money for their own families, friends and business. They concealed these funds by falsifying documentation to make the money appear union-related, according to the indictment.

Read the complete indictment below.

Charges include conspiracy to embezzle labor union funds, falsification of labor union records, making false statements to the FBI and theft from employee benefits, among many other counts.

Dougherty and Henon have denied all of the allegations.

In addition to Dougherty and Henon, six IBEW Local 98 leaders were also named. They are:

• Brian Burrows, president since 2008
• Michael Neill, director of training since 2008
• Marita Crawford, director of government affairs 
• Niko Rodriguez, former union apprentice and now-treasurer of Brighter Pennsylvania PAC
• Brian Fiocca, union employee and Dougherty's nephew  
• Anthony Massa, owner and operator of Massa Construction

The defendants allegedly spent thousands of union dollars on expensive family meals, baby supplies, hair styling items and even dog food, federal officials said. 

During a birthday dinner for Dougherty in 2015, Crawford used a union credit card to spend more than $1,300 at the Old Homestead restaurant, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to the indictment. 

Crawford falsely reported to Local 98 that the birthday dinner was a “Political Campaign Meeting Hosted by John Dougherty.”

“I got a different world than most people ever exist in. I am able to take care of a lot of people all the time," Dougherty allegedly said to a family member, according to the indictment.

The alleged embezzlement outlined in the indictment took place between 2010 to 2016.

Dougherty's personal attorney, Henry Hockeimer, denied any wrongdoing on behalf of his client.

"Every move he makes is done in order to better the lives of the membership of Local 98. And the dramatic increase in wages, health care benefits and the overall standard of living for the membership is a testament to that singular focus," the statement read. "To allege that John in any way attempted to defraud the Union he cares about so deeply is preposterous."

The charges point to dizzying schemes between Dougherty and Henon that, ultimately, did benefit the union itself. In July 2015, for example, the two conspired to shut down the installation of a new MRI machine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia because Local 98 was not given the opportunity to bid on the project. CHOP responded that the manufacturer was installing the machine in order to keep it under warranty should it fail or need repair in the future. 

“It is also an L&I violation ... you don’t want a city thing shutting it down," Dougherty reportedly told a hospital administrator. "We have had other hospitals shut down because of that.”

Henon referred the dispute to the city's Department of Licenses and Inspection, which ultimately issued a stop work order for the MRI machine installation.

In another scheme, Henon and Dougherty allegedly pressured Comcast during its franchise licensing agreement talks, according to the indictment. The two warned Comcast that if the cable provider did not hire union workers to install its fiber optic network, city council would not approve the franchise agreement.

Comcast, the parent company of NBC10 and Telemundo62, said it "cooperated fully" with the federal investigation and will continue to do so as a fact witness. 

The charges revealed Wednesday come more than two years after the FBI and IRS raided over a dozen offices of people connected to IBEW Local 98, including Dougherty. 

Earlier this week, two additional associates were indicted.

George Peltz, a South Jersey contractor and an ally of Dougherty's, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, theft from employee benefits and other charges. He admitted to providing more than $60,000 in gifts and free work, including home and office improvements, to an unnamed union official.

Many people have speculated that unnamed official, identified simply as Official No. 1 in federal documents, is Dougherty.

Dr. James Moylan, the former Zoning Board Chairman of Philadelphia, was also indicted in connection with the investigation. Prosecutors said he used more than $40,000 in union donations to pay his business and personal expenses. He stepped down as zoning board chair after federal agents raided his home and chiropractic business.

Despite never holding public office, the 58-year-old Dougherty has long been one of Philadelphia’s most powerful political figures.

He is head of the broader Philadelphia Building Trades Council, and has sat on influential boards, such as the Delaware River Port Authority. Many inside Philadelphia City Hall consider him to be most influential at the municipal level, where he has had a hand in securing votes for several current councilmembers, including former Local 98 protege Henon.

Henon, an electrician by trade, served as the local's political director before being elected to City Council in 2011. He represents the city's 6th District that covers the River Wards, Mayfair, Frankford and other lower Northeast Philly neighborhoods. In 2016, Henon was unanimously elected as Democratic majority leader.

A spokesman for IBEW Local 98 did not respond to a request for comment.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who received campaign support from IBEW, defended the union's right to contribute to his mayoral campaign. 

Speaking to reporters at a different event Wednesday morning, Kenney said he was "sad" and disappointed by the federal charges, but is not worried that anyone in his administration will be implicated. 

"We’ve had conversations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and there’s no one in the administration or myself or anyone that is involved in that regard," he said.

The mayor recommended that Councilman Henon make the best decision for the people he represents. 

“If he stepped down today, his constituents would not be represented for 10 months. So that’s certainly up to him," Kenney said.

Henon issued a statement on his Facebook page shortly after the charges were revealed.

"I want to make clear: I have done nothing wrong. I have spent 28 years proudly working for Local 98. In 2011, I ran for City Council to give a voice to honest union men and women, working Philadelphians and those in need of a strong voice to represent them in this great city," the statement read.

NBC10 obtained a copy of a letter Dougherty sent to union members Monday that touted recent union successes and said he will "continue to be your business manager for the foreseeable future."

Editor's Note: Some NBC10 employees are members of Local 98.

The former chairman of the Democratic City Committee in Stamford faces absentee ballot fraud and forgery charges in connection with ballots cast in the city’s 2015 election.

John Mallozzi was charged with 14 counts of false statement in absentee balloting and 14 counts of second-degree forgery.

The arrest comes after an investigation by the Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney’s office after a complaint from the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The investigation began after municipal election officials in Stamford made a report after a person who was recorded as having voted by absentee ballot showed up to cast his ballot at the polls.

Mallozzi was released on a $50,000 bond and is due in court on February 11.

The charges are class D felonies and punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000 per count.

Two adults and a teenager are accused of attacking security guards at the Annie Fisher School in Hartford Wednesday.

Police arrested 34-year-old Matthew Locke and 39-year-old Amber Mills Wednesday after the incident at the Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet School on Plainfield Street.

According to Hartford Public School spokesperson John Fergus, the pair parked in an area blocking the bus lane. Police said when a security guard asked them to move, Locke got “belligerent” and punched one of the security guards in the head. Mills and her 15-year-old son, who is not a student at the school, also joined in on the attack, police said.

Two security guards were assaulted and one had to be taken to Saint Francis Hospital for treatment of a head injury, according to police. Fergus confirmed the injured guard has since been released.

Locke and Mills were each arrested and charged with assault on a public safety officer, breach of peace a and risk of injury to a minor. Locke was held on a $7,500 bond and Mills on a $5,000 bond. They are due in court on Thursday.

The 15-year-old was charged with assault on a public safety officer and breach of peace and issued a juvenile summons.

Connecticut drivers are gearing up for another blast of freezing cold.

Extreme cold can cripple a vehicle, leaving you stranded on the side of the road.

At the AAA Car Care Center in Southington mechanics were busy Wednesday making sure cars can weather the single-digit and subzero temperatures expected.

“The main thing is probably batteries. Cars not starting and getting stuck on the side of the road,” explained mechanic Jaek Staron.

During the cold snap last week when temperatures were in the teens and single digits, AAA of Greater Hartford got more than 5,000 calls for help. About half of those calls were for dead batteries and many of them required a tow.

“Generally batteries last about three to five years, but with the cold weather and extreme conditions we’ve seen batteries as old as six months have a bad cell in them and cause the car not to start,” Staron said. AAA says at zero degrees, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength. Battery life can also be drained faster if you have devices like cell phone chargers or GPS plugged into your car.

Staron also suggested checking tire pressure because of slippery conditions. Tires tend to lose air when air temperatures are cold.

Experts advise drivers to keep emergency items in the car in case of a breakdown. Your kit should include items like a shovel, ice scraper, flares or reflectors to make sure you’re seen in the dark, sand or kitty litter for traction, warm clothes and blankets, and snacks in case you’re stuck for a long time.

Over the course of about 24 hours, the backlash over legislation that would cut back on what craft breweries would be allowed to do in Connecticut led to it being shelved. A second, similar measure, remains as a possibility in the General Assembly.

“I’ve asked that we hold off on the bill. In our world, we kill it, and really sit down and talk about ways we create an even playing field for those package stores that may not feel like they’re a part of the evolution of the beer industry,” said Rep. Brandon McGee, (D – Hartford), who sponsored one of the bills.

McGee’s proposal was aimed at barring breweries from selling beer if they also distribute it for purchase elsewhere. The bill even lays out that the purpose is to, "eliminate the ability of breweries to sell beer in competition with restaurants."

McGee, who also announced his bid to run for mayor of his hometown City of Hartford earlier in the week, said he did not expect the backlash over social media and to his office over the bill, and says he plans to discuss the matter before moving anything forward.

"Man, I didn’t realize how organized the beer community is, but the good thing about our democratic process is that we as legislators, we listen, and I’m hearing from all of them," he said.

Curt Cameron has owned Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield since 2006. He was one of the earliest crafter breweries in Connecticut, distributing his beer to local restaurants and for retail sale. Cameron also has a tasting room in Hartford where some beer is also brewed.

He says McGee’s measure, and another sponsored by Hartford Senator Douglas McCrory, would lead him to a difficult decision.

Cameron said, "It means I have to choose between my fantastic wholesale and retail partnerships, and I have to choose between them and closing my tasting room in Bloomfield which would mean no more non-profit fundraisers and events and no more consumers coming in to taste beer, and in our Hartford location, completely shut it down."

McCrory actually represents the part of Bloomfield where Thomas Hooker is located, and he never reached out to Cameron for his opinion on his legislation.

McCrory’s proposal, which he says he has no plans on shelving, would require breweries to, "choose between off-premise or on-premise sale and consumption."

What makes craft breweries so popular is that guests can enjoy their beer in the same place where it was brewed. The Brewer Association, a national trade group that works on behalf of independent breweries, counts 84 craft breweries in Connecticut.

McCrory, a Democrat, says he is concerned for the impact that crafter breweries have had on smaller package stores.

He says the industry has grown at a speed faster than regulations could keep up.

"It’s getting out of hand and we need to get back to the initial purpose and that’s what the original purpose of the bill was for and for the people it supports."

He added, "Since the market has changed, the policy has to change, the rules has to change and they should be in place so we can have a level playing field for everybody that’s in play."

Cameron says the craft brewing community is open to discussions on changes to their business, but want to be included in those conversations, especially when it’s his own senator proposing an idea.

"I think it was a little unfortunate that my state senator for both Bloomfield and Hartford was the one who really put in this legislation without talking to us and I hope this was just an oversight and we can start a dialogue."

McCrory says if there is any fallout, it’s only going to be positive, and says he and his proposal would not be responsible for putting any small business out of business.

"No, I’m going to be the guy who expands craft breweries in Connecticut so that all of them can open and work in a fair capacity."

The NBC Connecticut meteorologists have issued a First Alert for brutal cold that has already prompted some school districts to delay start times Thursday morning.

Wind chill advisories are in effect for most of Connecticut with wind chills of -15 to -20 by tomorrow morning. High temperatures will hover in the teens, with lows near -2 inland and around 5 along the shore

The governor has activated the state Severe Weather Protocol for those in need of shelter. Warming centers are open across the state and those in need of help should contact 211 for more information.

The cold doesn't stick around too long - by Tuesday we're looking at temperatures around 50 degrees.

Get the latest forecast anytime here. 

In an impressive display of the power of Wednesday’s snow squalls, strong winds in Wethersfield took out a large tree.

At the height of Wednesday’s snow squalls the Lisella family was tucked inside their home on Hartford Avenue. While the wind was whipping, they heard a sound but didn’t know what it was.

We heard this massive thud!,” Cole Lisella said. “We tried looking out all the windows and we couldn’t see anything because it was this snow squall.”

The blinding snow kept them from seeing mother nature meeting machine – the family Volvo was smashed by one of their favorite trees.

“Then he was like “Mom! There’s a tree on your car!” mom Blaik Lisella said.

The tree missed the shed and came nowhere near the family, but made quick work of the car, which might be a total loss.

The tree is still resting on the car, something of an attraction for the kids in the family as mom tries to figure out what to do next with the insurance company. She’s thankful, however, that everyone was safe.

“I’m happy that nobody was in the car…Mother Nature is a force to reckoned with,” she said.

The makers of M&M's are at it again.

Three new flavors will start appearing on store shelves this week; Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, English Toffee Peanut and Thai Coconut Peanut.

Then the hard decisions is left up to YOU!

After trying all three new flavors, fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite.

You can go to www.flavorvote.mms.com or simply text the word VOTE to 84444.

When you vote in the contest, you will be entered to win a trip to the winning country, England, Thailand or Mexico.

The flavor that gets the most votes will be sold in stores for an extended period of time.

A raging inferno engulfed more than a dozen cars in a Newark Airport parking lot early Thursday, spewing thick black smoke into the air as high-powered flames turned vehicles into charred carcasses.

A law enforcement source tells News 4 a total of 17 cars were burned, all but two of them totaled. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the fire. Chopper 4 over the scene showed firefighters standing near the flaming vehicles, trying to battle the blaze in wind chills as low as -15 degrees. The Port Authority said the lot involved in the fire was regular parking at Terminal C, not long-term.

It also said no injuries were reported and airport operations were not affected. The passenger pickup area in the immediate vicinity was briefly closed, and the fire-wrecked Terminal C parking garage was shut down until further notice. Anyone who may have been parked in the garage is advised to head to the Terminal C Level 1 taxi stand for further assistance, the airport's official Twitter feed said later Thursday morning. 

Fires also tore through buildings in Brooklyn and the Bronx early Thursday. In Brooklyn, huge flames devoured a one-story vacant warehouse on Vernon Avenue shortly before 4 a.m., sending thick smoke across the neighborhood and into nearby homes, witnesses told News 4.

About 170 firefighting personnel responded to the five-alarm scene near the elevated subway tracks. Train service wasn't affected, but the smoke rose all the way to the rails. Nearby apartments were not evacuated. 

Witnesses described a stench that made them feel as if they were in the middle of a bonfire. 

Less than a half-hour after the Brooklyn fire erupted, firefighters got a call about a two-alarm fire at a Richman Plaza high-rise in the Bronx's Morris Heights neighborhood. Emergency transmissions indicated the fire broke out on the fifth floor of a 46-story mixed-occupancy building.

No injuries were immediately reported in either of the New York City fires, causes of which were under investigation.

Meanwhile, a seven-alarm inferno that ripped through a paper mill in New Jersey's Elmwood Park on Wednesday continued to burn early Thursday, more than 12 hours after it started spewing smoke that was seen miles away.

Firefighters encountered difficult conditions as water they tried to use to douse the flames turned to ice in the sub-zero wind chills. About 200 employees were working at the facility of the time, authorities said; no one was hurt in that case either. 

A Lake Barrington homeowner hasn’t had a restful night’s sleep in 10 days, after he said his Nest home security cameras and thermostats were accessed by malicious hackers.

“I couldn’t believe that these devices that I had put up in my home to watch over it, my family, were now being used against me,” said Arjun Sud.

Sud tells NBC 5 Investigates that shortly after he and his wife put their 7-month-old son to bed on Jan. 20, they heard a strange noise coming from inside the nursery.

“Right as I approached the baby’s room, I heard a deep voice talking to him,” Sud said.

His wife also noticed that the Nest thermostat had been turned up to a frightening and dangerous 90 degrees.

Sud said he brought his son, now sweaty and awake, downstairs to the living room, when another Nest camera activated and someone began cursing at them.

“The moment I realized what was happening, panic and confusion set in, and my blood truthfully ran cold,” Sud said. “We don’t know how long someone was in our Nest account watching us. We don’t know how many private conversations they overheard.”

Sud, an avid user of smart home technology, said he has two Nest thermostats, 16 Nest cameras and a security system installed in his home.

Nest, which is owned by Google, said its systems were not breached.

“These recent reports are based on customers using compromised passwords” that were exposed on breaches on other websites, a Google spokesperson said.

Google and cyber security experts said smart home technology users should use unique passwords and two-factor authentication to eliminate the security risk. Two-factor authentication is a method that requires users to confirm identities, often by providing codes sent to a cell phone or other device.

Sud said he did not have two-factor authentication enabled because he didn’t know it was an option. Sud said Google and Nest should have alerted him of this added level of protection and notified him when someone else accessed his account.

“It was simply a blame game where they blamed me, and they walked away from it,” Sud said.

Sud said he wants to return $4,000 worth of Nest products and be reimbursed. Above all, Sud is sharing his story to warn other consumers.

A Google spokesperson sent NBC 5 Investigates a statement: “We take security in the home extremely seriously, and we’re actively introducing features that will reject compromised passwords, allow customers to monitor access to their accounts and track external entities that abuse credentials. We’re always exploring ways to make sure that users are informed and know how to keep their devices and accounts safe.”

A fake university set up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement helped catch eight people who allegedly recruited undocumented immigrants by offering to use student visas as cover, NBC News reported.

The suspects were indicted Monday on suspicion of visa fraud and "harboring aliens for profit," according to allegations unsealed Wednesday.

Hundreds of foreign nationals worked in the U.S. after being recruited to enroll in the completely made-up University of Farmington, created in 2015 by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division, authorities said.

University of San Francisco law school immigration professor Bill Ong Hing said he'd never seen this kind of sting operation.

Firefighters are responding to reports of a crash involving a school bus, according to Tolland Alert.

A Tweet from Tolland Alert says a school bus and another vehicle collided in the 100 block of South River Road and no injuries are reported.