A vigil held tonight brought friends, family and community members together to remember the Bristol teen who was stabbed to death at a house party early Saturday morning.

Police found Joey Klett, 19, suffering from stab wounds when they stopped a speeding car just after midnight Saturday, police said. Klett was in the car with three other people, who told police they were heading to Bristol Hospital.

He received emergency treatment but died from his injuries, according to police. Investigators learned that Klett was stabbed at a party on Irving Street.

"Everybody said it was a shock," said Peter Levery, who attended the vigil at Rockwell Park. "Someone ran in and said someone got stabbed. Another person came in and said there was blood everywhere."

Friends and family members gathered for a candlelight vigil at Rockwell Park in Bristol on Monday.

"When I got the news, when I woke up, I was just crying," said Joshua Herrera, a friend of Klett's. "I would have never thought he would go so soon."

Joshua Daniels, of Conlon Street in Bristol, was identified as a suspect and taken into custody on Sunday afternoon in North Carolina, according to police. Daniels will be held in North Carolina and extradited to Connecticut.

"It made me really angry," Herrera said. "He's a young kid just learning how to live. Why would you take his life?"

Daniels will face murder charges after his return to Connecticut.

Students at the Mabelle B. Avery Middle School in Somers were dismissed early and firefighters are investigating after smoke filled the main foyer this afternoon.

According to the Somers Superintendent of Schools Dr. Raymond H. Blanch, the smoke first appeared around 1:30 p.m. Students and staff were evacuated to the high school nearby and were kept briefly in the auditorium until high school dismissal time.

Middle school students were dismissed along with the high school. Buses brought them back to the middle school to retrieve their coats and belongings, Blanch said.

Firefighters are still working to determine what caused the smoke, but said it smelled like a light ballast was burning and could have been related to a heating issue, according to Blanch. 

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The Metropolitan District Commission is warning customers of two imposters who entered a West Hartford home today and may try to access other homes under the guise of working for the water company.

Two men claiming to be with MDC entered a West Hartford home and told the resident they needed to check the water. MDC said it happened sometime Monday. The details and location of the incident are unknown.

Customers are advised to check employees’ clothing and vehicles for the MDC logo and ask for employee identification before allowing workers to enter their homes.

If water company workers arrive without a scheduled appointment, call the MDC Command Center at 860-278-7850 ext. 3600 to verify their identities before letting them in.

A Waterbury man is facing more than eight years in prison after robbing banks in Waterbury and New Britain at gunpoint and using a Taser in a third robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Victor Ramos, 32, was sentenced today to eight-and-a-half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release in connection with the armed robberies of two TD Banks in February 2013.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Ramos, along with Jose Rivera and others, stole $24,480 from a TD Bank on Hartford Road in New Britain on Feb. 1 and stole $5,319 from a TD Bank on North Main Street in Waterbury on Feb. 21.

Officials said Ramos carried a loaded gun during both robberies and physically assaulted a Waterbury customer.

Ramos and Rivera also robbed a small business in Waterbury on Jan. 28, 2013, and used a Taser twice on a person there, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Ramos was arrested June 5 and has been in custody ever since. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery Aug. 19 and another count of bank robbery on Oct. 30.

Waterbury police, New Britain police and the FBI are investigating.

Waterford police are searching for the man who stole two drills from Sears at the Crystal Mall on Hartford Turnpike around 4 p.m. Monday.

Police have released surveillance footage and are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect.

Authorities believe the shoplifter got away in a silver 2004 Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 937-YZA. Police said the car is registered to an address in New London.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Waterford police at 860-442-9451.

The California Supreme Court on Monday denied a law license to a disgraced former journalist who was caught fabricating dozens of stories for major national magazines. 

The unanimous seven-judge court ruled that Stephen Glass had insufficiently rehabilitated himself in the years since his misdeeds, saying he "failed to carry his heavy burden of establishing his rehabilitation and current fitness."

Glass' misdeeds stunned the profession when they were uncovered in 1998. His widely publicized fall from grace earned the rising star a prominent place in the pantheon of journalistic cheats and scoundrels such as Janet Cooke and Jayson Blair — two prominent reporters caught fabricating quotes, sources and entire stories.

Glass' ethical missteps were turned into the Hollywood movie "Shattered Glass" and recounted in his novel "The Fabulist," for which he earned $190,000.

Glass, 41, now works as a paralegal for a Los Angeles law firm and lives in a suburb. Through his lawyer, Glass declined an interview request.

Attorney Jon Eisenberg said his client "appreciates the court's consideration of his application and respects the court's decision."

Glass went to work for The New Republic magazine in 1995 and began filing colorful and attention-grabbing articles, including a racially explosive piece that culminated with his supposedly witnessing the robbery of a cab driver.

He also filed stories reporting that young, politically conservative Republican men were more interested in sex and drugs than politics, and about a supposed encounter with a computer company help desk that brought an anti-Semitic slur.

In the end, 31 of 42 articles Glass published in The New Republic were found to contain significant fabrications and falsehoods.

Glass was exposed in May 1998 when a reporter for Forbes Digital Tool uncovered significant fabrication in a story Glass wrote for George magazine detailing a supposed young hacker's extortion scheme of a software company.

Still, Glass pressed on with his cover-up. He created fake business cards, a bogus website and notes that he asserted were from interviews with sources.

Ultimately, Glass conceded that he fabricated the "Hack Heaven" piece and was fired.

His editor at The New Republic, Charles Lane, testified before a California state bar committee, saying Glass was not helpful or forthcoming in assisting the magazine in identifying all the bogus stories.

The California Supreme Court said its review "indicates hypocrisy and evasiveness in Glass' testimony at the California State Bar hearing."

"We find it particularly disturbing that at the hearing Glass persisted in claiming that he had made a good faith effort to work with the magazines that published his works," the court said.

Glass argued that he had undergone years of psychotherapy since being exposed. He also pointed to several former teachers, judges he clerked for, and others who testified on his behalf at the 2010 state bar court hearing as proof he was fit to practice law.

The California Supreme Court said that wasn't enough.

"We also observe that instead of directing his efforts at serving others in the community, much of Glass' energy since the end of his journalistic career seems to have been directed at advancing his own career and financial and emotional well-being," the court wrote in the unsigned ruling.

While working at The New Republic, Glass attended Georgetown University Law Center, graduating in 2000. After passing the New York state bar exam, Glass in 2002 applied to practice law in that state. He withdrew his New York application two years later after he was informally told that his application would be rejected.

The California Supreme Court cited Glass' aborted efforts in New York as a major reason for rejecting his latest application to practice law.

"In the New York bar application materials, he exaggerated his cooperation with the journals that had published his work and failed to supply a complete list of the fabricated articles that had injured others," the California Supreme Court wrote.

Glass applied to practice law in California after passing the state's bar exam in 2007. But divided state bar officials grappled with his application, finally appealing to the California Supreme Court to decide.

A committee reviewing his application deemed him morally unfit for a license. But that determination was overturned by a state bar court that found Glass had shown enough rehabilitation to be trusted to practice law in California.

The state bar committee then appealed to the California Supreme Court.

"The ruling today vindicates the idea that honesty is of paramount importance in the practice of law in California," State Bar President Luis J. Rodriguez said.

An 18-year-old from Bridgeport has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery on Regency Terrace in Stratford.

Police said Nelson Pasqual Busanet, of Mountain Grove Street in Bridgeport, was seen leaving the scene and fit the description of one of the suspects. He caught sight of officers and started running. Police caught up with Busanet and arrested him shortly after, authorities said.

Busanet is charged with second-degree robbery with a weapon and interfering with an officer.

The details of the robbery are unclear. Police said the investigation is ongoing. 

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Bridgeport residents will soon be receiving free prescription discount cards that help cover prescription, vision care and other medical expenses, according to the office of Mayor Bill Finch.

The discount cards will be available to all city residents at no cost to the residents or the city, and are provided through a partnership with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the mayor’s office said.

Finch is expected to introduce the Bridgeport Prescription Discount Card and its benefits during a press conference at the Margaret E. Morton Government Center on Broad Street at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“The Prescription Discount Card can help alleviate the burden of high-priced prescription drugs for those who are uninsured or underinsured,” said Finch, in a statement. “I encourage all Bridgeport residents to take advantage of this free program. There are no enrollment forms, membership fees limits or restrictions on use.”

A Vernon mother has been arrested in connection with the severe abuse of her 3-month-old son.

Police have arrested Amanda McGuire, 24, of Hansen Drive in Vernon, and said her baby son suffered a serious head injury, according to police.

Police said the little boy was taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center on December 11 and admitted to the intensive care unit to be treated for life-threatening injuries.

The little boy sustained significant disability, according to police, and in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families

A warrant was issued, charging McGuire with first-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor.

She was also charged with second-degree false statement because of her initial statements to Vernon detectives.

Police arrested McGuire on Monday and the court set bond for McGuire at $250,000.
She is due in Rockville Superior Court on Jan. 28.
 

Police are searching for the man who beat up two women in Stamford and sexually assaulted one of them while they were walking home to their apartment early Saturday morning.

Police said the women were walking northbound on Bedford Street after leaving the Hudson Grille when a man stopped them outside the First Presbyterian Church and asked if they knew how to get to Norwalk.

The man then punched one women in the face, giving her a black eye and knocking her to the ground, police said. He turned to the second woman and punched her in the face too, leaving her with a black eye and knocking out a front tooth.

She fell and lie bleeding while the man reached into her pants and fondled her, according to police.

The man then jumped a stone wall in front of the church and ran east toward Morgan Street, leaving footprints in the snow that allowed police to track him part of the way.

The victims walked home to their apartment and called police. They were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released, police said.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man standing about 5-foot-7 with a thin build. Police said he had short black hear and was wearing a black fleece jacket.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Stamford police.

A 64-year-old woman from Georgia is facing animal cruelty charges after reportedly putting sick animals up for adoption in Connecticut and Rhode Island, some of which had to be euthanized, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Donna Lee Carswell, of Grovetown, Ga., was arrested Saturday in Madison and is facing 12 counts of cruelty to animals and other related charges. Animal control officers went undercover and met Carswell in a parking lot, leading her to believe they were interested in adopting a dog.

Once there, they found 10 cats and two dogs being kept in dirty enclosures covered in feces and urine. The animals were confiscated and immediately taken to a veterinarian, and two of the cats needed to be euthanized due to respiratory problems.

The investigation stems from consumer complaints and a tip from the Rhode Island state veterinarian, who told authorities Carswell was putting sick animals up for adoption in Connecticut and Rhode Island through her rescue business called Nick of Time.

Nick of Time Rescue website says Caswell is the director and claims "she does this out ofht egoodness of her heart, driving hours at a time to save animals from a barbaric death."

According to the website, Nick of Time was founded seven years ago as a dog rescue and has since expanded to include cats. Caswell does not get paid but accepts donations and adoption fees, the site says.

Carswell is charged with a total of 28 counts, including 12 counts of cruelty to animals, 12 counts of failing to have official interstate animal health certificates, failure to register as an animal importer, failure to notify the Dept. of Agriculture of an animal adoption event, opening a pet shop without a license and failure to have animals checked by a veterinarian prior to adoption.

She was released on a promise to appear and is due in New Haven Superior Court on Feb. 4.

A new grassroots organization called the Commuter Action Group hopes to open lines of communication between Metro-North officials and frustrated passengers by allowing commuters to send complaints directly to the railroad as problems arise.

The group launched its new website and social media accounts today, in light of more Metro-North issues that sprung up last week.

“We've developed technology to allow commuters while they're on the train, if they see something, to say something,” said commuter advocate Jim Cameron. “If there's no heat in their car, if the tickets aren't being collected, if the conductor is being rude, if the public address system isn't working, don't just sit there and complain to your fellow riders, open up the website, there's a direct link there to Metro North.”

The site includes a link to the official Metro-North complaint page, a list of Connecticut lawmakers and their contact information and a list of steps to take to file complaints most effectively.

“As a lawmaker, our primary responsibility is to represent the people, and there hasn't been a conduit beyond people voicing concerns and being frustrated. There really hasn't been a direct pipeline for them to voice concerns,” said State Rep. Tony Hwang, who represents Fairfield and Trumbull.

Ideally, the website will serve as that missing link.

“It would be the only place where [commuters could complain], because at the moment there's nowhere. Metro North doesn't listen to anyone,” said Owen Lucas, who said his complaints to Metro-North have fallen on deaf ears.

MTA spokesperson Marjorie Anders has issued the following statement regarding Metro-North’s response to commuter complaints:

"Metro-North has a well-trained workforce of front-line employees who are in a position to, and do, resolve thousands of issues in real time each day, namely, train crew members and ticket sellers. For those who need additional assistance, we have a responsive customer service department that responds to every email it receives through MTA.info and phone call it receives through 511, as well as incoming Tweets from Metro-North customers."

A 29-year-old Bridgeport man is facing charges after a domestic incident turned violent Friday night, leading police to forcibly enter his Cleveland Avenue home out of concern for the safety of his estranged wife and two children.

John Anderson is charged with violation of a protective order, second-degree strangulation, unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, interfering with police and three counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Police said it’s not clear how Anderson’s estranged wife and children ended up at his Cleveland Avenue address Friday night, but that once there, they were locked in a bedroom and his wife told police Anderson had punched and kicked her.

Police responded to the scene after a friend of the victim called police and said she was worried about her friend’s well being. The victim had called her friend about two hours prior to say she was leaving with her estranged husband and kids, then called her grandmother pleading for help.

Officers arrived and set up a perimeter around Anderson’s house. After trying for 20 minutes to get someone to come to the door, police spoke with the victim over the phone. An officer asked if she had been injured and if she was inside the home with Anderson. The victim answered “yes” to both questions, and police decided to enter the house.

Police found the victim and children locked in a third-floor bedroom with Anderson. The victim told police Anderson had punched and kicked her repeatedly.

Anderson was arrested at the scene.
 

The Enfield Square shopping center has been evacuated after a fire broke out at the Target store at 90 Elm Street in Enfield on Monday evening.

Store employees said they believe the fire broke out after candles were lit inside the store's seasonal department, but fire officials haven't officially identified the cause. The fire has been knocked down.

No injuries were reported, but the mall was evacuated as a precaution. Police and fire officials have closed off every mall entrance.

Enfield Mayor Scott Kaupin is asking residents to avoid the area.

Check back for updates.

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Two New Haven men are behind bars after an off-duty Guilford police officer spotted them preparing to rob a Middletown bank and called the local police department, authorities said.

Guilford Police Officer David Olszewski was shopping with his family when he noticed a white car parked behind the TD bank at 911 Washington Street in Middletown at 9:20 a.m. Monday.

Inside were two men, later identified as 47-year-old Hakim Salam and 44-year-old Mustafa Muhammad, of New Haven, putting on masks and gloves. Salam, the driver, covered the license plate with cardboard, and the two walked toward the bank, police said.

Olszewski recognized the robbery attempt and called Middletown police, who sent officers to the scene. While police were on the way, Salam and Muhammad entered the bank, jumped the counter and stole $3,500 cash from the money drawers, police said.

A bank employee told police one of the men reached into his pocket as though feeling for a weapon. Workers were shaken up but uninjured, according to police.

The bank’s panic alarm went off at 9:21 a.m. and Salam and Muhammad ran out the front entrance and toward their car, police said.

Middletown police stopped the car as the suspects tried to leave the parking lot. Salam and Muhammad were arrested.

Salam, also known as Michael Clyde, Michael Kemp, Michael Salam, Kenneth Shazel, Michael Shazel and Khalid Wali, was charged with second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny, second-degree breach of peace, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, misuse of a marker plate, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Muhammad, also known as Benjamin Williams and Benjamin Cauley, was charged with second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny and second-degree breach of peace.

Both suspects were held on $500,000 bond and are due in court Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m.

New Britain police are investigating after a woman was found dead in a Spring Street apartment Monday afternoon.

Officers were called to The Regency, an apartment building for residents ages 55 and over, at 85 Spring Street for a welfare check around 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to New Britain Police Chief James Wardwell.

There they found a woman dead in her apartment. They're considering it a suspicious death but have not released any details. The woman has not been identified.

Police went door-to-door to question residents and prevented anyone from entering the building for a brief period of time Monday afternoon.

Residents have since been free to come and go as they please, but police began signing people in and out of the building to keep track of who was coming and going.

The medical examiner arrived on scene around 9 p.m. Monday to remove the body.

New Britain police, the New Britain State's Attorney's Office and the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact New Britain police.

An Amber Alert has been lifted for a 12-year-old boy from Vermont.

Vermont State police issued the alert for Zachary Lee of Sunderland , VT. Lee was last seen getting off of the school bus at 3:30 Monday.

The boy was found in New Hampshire in the company of his mother, whom the authorities suspected of abducting him. Patricia Kane has been taken into police custody.

 Police believe Kane, 49, may have been trying to take him out of the country. The two are from France and have only been in Vermont since Jan. 14.

Kane is not allowed to have any contact with Zachary.

The Connecticut State Police had reason to believe that the two may travel through the state. 

Lawyers for an elderly man who was arrested for jaywalking filed a claim on Monday for $5 million in damages against the NYPD, alleging he was assaulted by officers during the arrest and had to be hospitalized for his injuries.

The claim was filed against the NYPD and the city of New York by Kang Wong. The claim alleges that officers pushed the 84-year-old against a wall, beat him and threw him to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness. Wong was hospitalized for his injuries and was bleeding from the head.

A lawyer for Wong said at a press conference Monday that Wong was crossing the street at the crosswalk with other pedestrians on a Sunday afternoon when he was stopped by a police officer who was waiting for him on the other side. The officer asked for his ID. Wong, a Chinese immigrant who speaks limited English, understood the word "ID" and handed it to the officer.

"After a few minutes, Mr. Wong asked for his ID back in Chinese and also made a hand gesture to get it back," said Hazel Chin, his attorney. "The next thing he knew was the officer had apparently radioed probably for backup, and a bunch of cops then showed up. The next thing he knew, he was being taken down to the ground."

Through an interpreter, Wong said he injured his head, the side of his face, an elbow, his ribs and his back during the arrest.

"How could this happen in this city today?" said another attorney for Wong, Sanford Rubenstein. "We have a mayor who is a proud progressive. We have a police commissioner who has committed to improve community relations. All criminal charges against Mr. Wong must be dropped."

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton has said he isn't aware of any excessive force used by officers.

"Some of the witnesses involved, including members of the press, gave a sense that the injuries he received were from a fall to the ground," Bratton said. "That will be fully investigated as you would expect with an injury."

One person was injured when a car flipped over in the area of 22 Flatbush Avenue in Hartford just after 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

A moving car struck a parked car and flipped over, police said.

One person was taken to the hospital. No information on the person’s condition has been released.