One Bridgeport man was injured and another arrested after an attempted robbery that led to an assault, according to police.

Officers responded to the area of Fairfield and West avenues shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday, and encountered the 51-year-old victim, who said a man had approached him and demanded money from his wallet, police said.

When the victim refused to turn over money to Carlos Delgado, 58, the two got into a physical altercation and the victim’s face was cut with a knife, according to police.

He declined medical treatment. Delgado was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault and held on a $10,000 bond.

Court records show Delgado is a convicted felon.
 

When New Haven Police Detective Jessie Agosto made the switch to the Missing Persons Unit, she didn’t know how busy her days would be.

“Last year we had 688 cases that we handled,” said Agosto.

Out of those cases, only four are still unsolved. Those cases can range from children who are kidnapped to people who wander off and go missing. However, the highest number of cases seen in New Haven are young runaways.

“They are constantly running away, so we’re constantly trying to located them, and trying to figure out the reasons why they are running away and see if we can find some services to help them along,” Agosto said.

One of those services is a pilot program with New Haven Family Alliance. Runaways appear before a juvenile review board, then are introduced to counselors to help them and their families.

“There’s different reasons why kids run away. Sometimes it’s easier than staying and dealing with whatever issue,” said Kyisha Velazquez with the New Haven Family Alliance.

Velazquez says because the organization is not run by the police, or by the courts, it allows the runaways to open up.

“I think once a young person starts making a bad choice, that’s all people see, so it’s a fresh start. Let’s start fresh. Today’s a new day, let’s set some goals. You have to repair the relationship with your family, you have to stop running away, you have to go to school,” said Velazquez.

It makes them accountable for their own choices, and so far, Agosto says the program seems to be working.

“It’s actually helped out. We’ve already referred 10 people, and I’d say we’ve had six we call successes with them,” said Agosto.

 If you're in the market for a fire station, you're in luck.

The city of Milford plans to sell its 204 Melba St. firehouse at a public auction on Saturday, May 10. The bidding will start at $477,000.

Fire Station 6 sits on about 20,000 square feet of land. The city purchased the property on May 24, 1944. According to the Milford Mirror, the station closed down when its operation moved to the East Side Fire Station to merge with the Kings Highway station.

Other than removing the generator, communication tower and related equipment, the city plans to sell the building "as is," according to a news release from the city of Milford.

The auction will start at noon. Candidates are required to register by thirty minutes prior to the event. The bid packages are available for download on the city website.

Anyone with questions on the auction can contact the Office of the city attorney at 2013-783-3250 between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For months many roads have continued to degrade, forcing drivers to bounce along the highway, but now big fixes are coming to major roads all across the state.

"We had a harsh winter, so I think it's been a tough job. But there's definitely a fair bit of work to be done out there," said Glastonbury resident Lincoln Thompson.

The Department of Transportation plans to mill and pave 254 miles this season.

Starting Sunday night, workers were scheduled to begin milling about seven miles of I-91 in Hartford and Wethersfield.

In the northbound lanes, drivers will see construction between exits 25 and 29. In the other direction it'll be between exits 27 and 26. The stretch is scheduled for completion by late May.

"I'll be excited when it's all over. I really will be," said New Haven resident Katina Staton.

It'll be a bit of a longer wait for I-84 in Hartford and East Hartford. Work in both directions from downtown Hartford to Buckley Bridge won't be done until early June.

The two projects are being done at night and wrapping up at 5 a.m.. With exits and lanes closing, it could take drivers on the road at those hours a while to get through.

"It backs up on traffic, but the whole thing is the roads went through a tough winter. They've got to get fixed," said Thompson.

For some drivers, the inconvenience now will be worth the smooth ride later on.

"You've got to be appreciative. It's getting done. That's absolutely the truth," said Thompson.

A former Hartford police detective who resigned from the department in January pleaded guilty to embezzling gun permit application funds, according to United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly.

Tishay Johnson, 40, of Windsor, stole about $29,427 in gun permit fees between October 2009 and January 2014 from the Hartford Police Department while administering the concealed weapons permit program there, Daly said.

In Hartford, residents who want to carry a concealed weapon must apply for permission through the police department.

Johnson admitted to allegations that he altered checks and money orders and forged signatures to give the illusion that applicants endorsed making the funds payable to him, the release stated. He funneled the money into his personal account, Daly said.

• Hartford Police Department Investigates Officer, Detective

The application includes a $70 processing fee that goes to the city of Hartford and a $66.50 background check fees made payable to the state of Connecticut. As the program administrator, Johnson collected those fees and was responsible for depositing the money into designated city and state bank accounts.

Johnson pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez to a charge of "theft from a local government receiving federal funds," Daly said. He agreed to pay about $17,443 in restitution to the city and $11,984 to the state.

On Aug. 4, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny is scheduled to sentence him. Until then, he has been released on a $150,000 bond. Johnson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and could be fined up to $250,000.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hartford Police Department handled the investigation.

An assignment asking Rialto middle school students to debate whether the Holocaust really happened has prompted death threats against school officials, the district said Monday.

The Rialto Unified School District assignment asked eighth-graders to argue whether the Holocaust "was an actual event in history or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain wealth," according to a copy obtained by NBC4.

• Document: Holocaust Essay Assignment

Interim Superintendent Mohammad Z. Islam and District Spokeswoman Syeda Jafri have received death threats "verbally on tape," Jafri told NBC4 Monday.

Officers could be seen standing outside the school Monday in response to the threats (pictured). Jafri would not specify whether the threats were made via phone calls.

The assignment, given to the students in April, instructed them to base their argument on "multiple credible sources."

The one-page instruction sheet stated: "When tragic events occur in history, there is often debate about their actual existence. For example, some people claim the Holocaust is not an actual event, but instead is a propaganda tool that was used for political and monetary gain."

• Download the FREE NBCLA App

"You will read and discuss multiple, credible articles on this issue, and write an argumentative essay, based upon cited actual textual evidence, in which you explain whether or not you believe this was an actual event in history, or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain wealth. Remember to address counterclaims (rebuttals) to your stated claim," it continued.

Students were asked to read three articles provided in the assignment, including one that stated, "Even The Diary of Anne Frank is a hoax," and, "It is time we stop sacrificing America’s welfare for the sake of Israel and spend our hard-earned dollars on Americans."

The district said it would not assign the topic again.

• U.S. Teachers Are Much Less Diverse Than Their Students: Report

"Our Interim Superintendent will be talking with our Educational Services Department to assure that any references to the Holocaust 'not occurring' will be stricken on any current or future argumentative research assignments," the district said in a statement posted by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. "The Holocaust should be taught in classrooms with sensitivity and profound consideration to the victims who endured the atrocities committed."

No students, teachers or parents complained about the assignment, which was created by district officials, Jafri told the newspaper.

"It's like asking students to make an argument that the world is flat," said Matthew Friedman, associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. "It's just a patently false argument and there's really no educational value there."

In 2007, the United Nations passed a resolution rejecting efforts to deny the Holocaust, efforts "which, by ignoring the historical fact of those terrible events, increase the risk they will be repeated."

A 12-year-old girl is recovering after she was rescued from the water off the coast of Ocean Beach in New London, where her canoe overturned Sunday, according to the Coast Guard.

A bystander reported the incident around 6:30 p.m. Sunday and said two people in the canoe appeared to be in distress, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard sent a rescue helicopter and boat to the scene, and crewmembers from a nearby passenger ferry threw the girl a life ring and pulled her aboard. She was not wearing a lifejacket and was treated for shock and hypothermia, the Coast Guard said.

The second passenger turned out to be the girl’s dog, which a Good Samaritan found on shore and returned to its owners, the Coast Guard said.

The girl has not been identified. Her condition is unknown.

There’s a bear at the door!

This Pembroke Welsh Corgi came face-to-face with a giant black bear who found his way onto the Barry family’s porch in Connecticut.

The Barry family said the bear showed up at their front door in Winchester around noon Monday. He stayed on the deck for about five minutes, scoping it out, then meandered back into the woods and disappeared.

They live in near a state forest in a rural area on the northwest side of town.

The Barry family said bears appear on their property a couple times a year, but this is the first one to show up on their doorstep.

Hundreds of Philadelphia high schoolers whose class-cutting put their prom plans in jeopardy have gotten the chance to reclaim their big night — with care packages for United States troops in Afghanistan.

• 7-Year-Old Gets Grandmother Arrested

South Philadelphia High School officials informed their nearly 500 juniors and seniors last month that half of them were ineligible to attend prom because they had cut class too many times, in a follow-up to a September assembly outlining who would be eligible for prom.

Students who had cut class more than 20 times lost their prom privilege, they said. The "cuts" list was posted so everyone could publicly see who was affected, and the most serious class-cutter had 420 cuts.

"They thought we weren't serious," school counselor Pierre LaRocco said. "Men and women overseas are fighting for your freedom, and you're using that freedom to walk around the hallways."

• You won't believe what a man did on a crowded bus
  

Adara Jones, 17, hadn't realized she had 23 "cuts." She and her friends were frantic when they learned they wouldn't be able to attend prom.

LaRocco and principal Otis Hackney III wanted to make prom possible while also making sure students had earned the opportunity to attend, so they came up with a way for students to earn back their prom rights: They brought in the troops.

Well, not exactly.

• Promposal: How to Pop the Prom Question

Hackney decided what the students needed was to do something selfless for others, and the school initiated its own service project to support U.S. troops.

Students barred from attending the prom can create a care package for U.S. troops — specifically, for South Philadelphia High's 2012 graduate John Russino's unit serving in Afghanistan — to earn back their prom privileges.

"This is a great cause to help students find their way and show support to our fellow soldiers overseas," said Russino.

• Hip-Hop Great DJ EZ Rock Dead at 46

For every 20 times a student cut class, a student must submit a care package and a personal letter to a service man or woman to earn back their prom. So if a student has 101 cuts, she must submit five care packages.

"I think it's a good opportunity. It not only gives students a chance to get their 'cuts' off but also gives back to the soldiers," student Adara Jones said.

• Despite Living in Tough Neighborhood, Teen is Off to Yale

Each prom-to-troops care package contains beef jerky, nuts, sunflower seeds, granola bars, Crystal Light singles and lip balm. Its estimated value is about $25.

"These gift boxes will lift the morale of the troops. Soldiers are serving overseas and risking their lives. Free education, not taking full advantage of it," said ROTC teacher Timothy Mack. "This is a great way to help soldiers and the students."

Students have until May 9 to create a package. As of Monday, the school has received 10 packages.

Councilman Jim Kenney heard about the project and connected the school with the Liberty USO, which has come forward to cover the cost of shipping the boxes.

The prom takes place June 6 at the Double Tree Hilton on Broad Street. With 250 students ineligible for prom, the school expects hundreds of care packages to come in to support the women and men serving abroad.

Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.

Police say they've arrested a Connecticut teen in connection with the sexual assault and robbery of a 61-year-old woman in her Bronx building Friday. 

Moises Granados, 19, of New Haven, was charged with robbery, grand larceny and criminal sex act Monday.

Granados followed the victim into the lobby of her building near Walton Avenue and East 168th Street at around 6:30 a.m., according to police. He then followed woman upstairs and sexually assaulted her before fleeing with her purse. 

It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. 

The clock is ticking with just two days left in this legislative session, and some parents are fighting for a bill they say could save lives at school.

"My daughter was diagnosed when she was four. She had eaten a peanut, and she started wheezing and had trouble breathing," said Jamie Kapel.

Kapel's daughter Lindsey, now 15, carries a shot of Epinephrine, commonly known as an Epipen, everywhere she goes.

"It's something I think about every single day," said Lindsey. "Just every time I'm eating at a restaurant or eating at school."

Lindsey and her mom are backing a proposed bill that requires all Connecticut public schools to stock Epinephrine and allow trained school personnel to administer it to students who have an allergic reaction.

The issue received national attention after a 7-year-old girl from Virginia had an allergic reaction at school and died on the way to the hospital.

"When somebody goes into shock from an allergic reaction, it can happen within minutes, and if it's not treated right away people can die very quickly from it," said Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicologist at Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Johnson-Arbor says not giving someone Epinephrine when they have a severe allergic reaction is like witholding CPR. She calls the medication safe, describing the risk of accidental injection as minimal.

"It will make your body have the higher heart rate, the high blood pressure, the sweating. It's kind of like getting a big shot of coffee if you will," said Johnson-Arbor.

While students like Lindsey are equipped for a worst-case scenario, she believes every school should be just as prepared.

"I just can't imagine that that should be a reason for a kid to lose their life," said Lindsey.

The bill has already passed the House but needs to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor by Wednesday.

The cost per school per year could run upwards of $350, but drug company Mylan says it has a program offering four free Epipens per year to any school in the U.S. through the end of next year.

People in Hamden lost their fight to keep a controversial fence Monday night.  The Woodin Street fence has separated Hamden from a New Haven housing complex for decades. But it's coming down today.

The New Haven Housing Authority will start tearing it down. It was determined that it legally belongs to them but it's one people on the Hamden side would like to keep standing

"To us it was a boundary. One side is Hamden. One side is New Haven," said Miriam Massey and it's boundary she and her husband would like to keep. Their house abuts the fence on Thorpe Drive. "We've been here close to 50 years and there's always been a fence."

But after 50 years this fence will be no more as Hamden officials sent a letter to residents advising them of what was happening. But the letter didn't ease their concerns.

"There have been a lot of robberies, a lot of drugs, people coming over the fence area so it's a lot easier to keep it that way," said Sean Gatison of Hamden.

Joan Howell of Hamden agreed. "Yes I want the fence to stay up it's about safety and security and traffic and we don't want all that traffic coming from Southern and housing complexes dumping into Woodin Street

These people sounded off to Hamden's Town Council but even the president says there's nothing they can do since the US Attorney's Office determined that the fence is built on property owned by the New Haven Housing Authority

"Right now there's only one way into community and one way out so what this will do," said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp.

Traffic was the main reason officials want to take the fence down. As for worries about crime Hamden is launching an expanded bike patrol. In addition there will be a police substation built in the area.

Some don't feel that would be a deterrent. Others in New Haven would love to see the fence torn down.

"Violence happens everywhere," said Anaedrea Douglas, "There's not a fence that can stop violence from happening. You don't know what good could come from knocking down the fence."

There will also be traffic calming additions to the road ans sidewalk improvements to help Woodin Street's overall safety. Hamden and New Haven officials emphasize they will not tolerate any problems once this fence comes down.

 

A new lawsuit has been filed against “X-Men” franchise director Bryan Singer and producer Gary Goddard for the alleged sexual abuse of a United Kingdom teenager about one decade ago.

The allegations, made by an unidentified man dubbed “John Doe No. 117,” come just weeks after allegations that the Hollywood power players are part of a sex ring involving underage boys.

Attorney Jeff Herman, who filed the other lawsuits against Singer and Goddard, is representing Doe in the newest case.

“The allegations highlight the insidious nature of child sexual abuse, which forces victims to suffer in silence,” Herman said in a statement. “I am proud to give this brave young man a voice."

The newest lawsuit claims that Goddard and Singer contacted the alleged victim when he was 14 years old via social media and asked him if he wanted to be an actor. Goddard allegedly proceeded to tell the boy that he and Singer could help in launching his career, according to the complaint.

• Man Accuses "X-Men" Director, Entertainment Execs in Underage Hollywood Sex Ring

Goddard allegedly engaged in several sex acts with Doe, then between 14 and 17, including during a trip to London in which he allegedly supplied the teen with alcohol before having sex with him.

Singer allegedly brought Doe to the London premiere of “Superman,” and invited the teen to an after-party in his hotel suite. Singer allegedly bullied Doe into sexual acts, using a “large, musclebound” man to “smack” the teen around when he refused to comply with the director’s requests.

“He was groomed with literally love letters, with candy, with gifts,” Herman said.

Singer’s attorney previously called allegations in the other lawsuits as absurd and defamatory.
"It is obvious that plaintiff's attorney is not looking to litigate the case on its merits," Marty Singer, who is not related to Bryan Singer, wrote.

• "X-Men" Director Bryan Singer Accused of Sex Abuse in Lawsuit

Michael Egan III sued Singer in April and is seeking more than $75,000 on each of four accusations: intentional infliction of emotional distress, battery, assault and invasion of privacy after he claims he was abused starting when he was 15 years old.

Jody Armour is a professor with USC's Gould School of Law.  He says the defendants have a defamation of character case, only if the allegations are proven false.

"The truth is a defense to any defamation claim," Armour said.

Getting to the truth is difficult in these types of cases. Herman shared this email from Goddard to the boy with the subject line, "The closest thing I have to a naughty shot of you." The email includes a photo of the teen wearing only a towel around his waist.

Kim Baldonado contributed to this report.

There was extra security at Hop Brook Elementary School in Naugatuck on Tuesday morning after two knives were found in the school over the span of a week.

On Monday, police were called to the school as a precaution after a fourth-grade student found a kitchen knife in the bathroom. 

The Board of Education is also investigating.

This is the second time in two weeks that a knife has turned up at school.

Last week, a third-grade student found a folding knife in her locker and reported it to the school, police said.

School officials are trying to find out how both knives wound up in the school and periodic sweeps of the school are planned.

"Somehow they're ending up in school and don't belong there," Supt. James Connelly said of the knives. "We take it seriously."

Connelly said security is in place at the front of the school before and after the school day and that a guard will sweep the locker area "for the forseeable future."

A man who died after being shot several times on Park Street in Hartford on Monday night is the fourth homicide victim in the city this year.

Police have not released the man’s name, but said he’d been shot three times in the chest and the shot spotter detected 11 gunshots. 

Hartford Police received several 911 calls at 11:09 p.m. from people reporting gunshots and a victim on the 600 block of Park Street.

When police responded, they found a man on the sidewalk in front of 631 Park St.

He was taken to Hartford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives from the major crimes division are investigating and the office of the chief medical examiner will perform an autopsy.

Hartford Police ask anyone with information on the case to call Sgt. Brandon O'Brien at 860-757-4089 or report a tip anonymously to Crimestoppers at 860-722-TIPS.

 

An motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in Manchester this morning, and the Ambulance Service of Manchester said the victim is an EMT in town.

The crash happened at East Middle Turnpike and Vernon Street just before 7 a.m. 

It appears that the motorcyclist, identified by the ASM as Manchester EMT Carolyn Edwards, was traveling westbound on East Middle Turnpike and collided with a vehicle that was turning onto Vernon Street, according to a news release from police.

Edwards was transported to Hartford Hospital, where she's listen in critical condition, according to David Skoczulek of the ASM.

The driver of the car was brought to Manchester Memorial Hospital as a precaution, according to police.

Police said it does not appear that speed was a factor or that the drivers were impaired.

Police have not confirmed the identities of either person involved in the crash.

Anyone with information about the crash should call Ofc. Aaron Calkins at 860-645-5560.  

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our co worker ASM EMT Carolyn Edwards who was critically injured in an accident this am !!

— Manchester CT FF's (@Local1579) May 6, 2014

Route 153 is Westbrook is closed after a car crash.

State Police have not released any additional information.

Here is Connecticut, we know there is something special about Pepe’s pizza, but the now the world does too.

The New Haven-based pizzeria that has been serving slices since 1925 is being recognized by “TIME” magazine for one of the 13 most influential pizzas of all time.

The White Clam Pie from Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria is the 10th most influential on the TIME list because Pepe’s was “the first to put a completely unconventional topping on a sauceless pizza.”

The Pepe’s specialty pie comes with fresh clams, grated cheese, olive oil, fresh garlic and oregano.

If you have not tried it, you can head to one of seven locations in Connecticut or the one in Yonkers, NY.

The Connecticut locations are at:

• 157 Wooster Street in New Haven: 203-865-5762
• The Spot, 163 Wooster Street in New Haven: 203-865-5762
• 59 Federal Road, Danbury: 203-790-7373
• 238 Commerce Drive in Fairfield: 203-333-7373
• 221 Buckland Hills Drive, Manchester: 860-644-7333
• Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard in Uncasville: 860-862-8888
• 1148 New Britain Ave. in West Hartford: 860-236-7373

A 73-year-old man is in critical condition after he was hit by a motorcycle in New Haven on Monday night.

Police said Willie Gay, 73, was pushing a shopping cart at Whalley Avenue at Orchard Street just before 8:30 p.m. when he was struck by a motorcycle.  He is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

A Waterbury man was driving the motorcycle, according to police. He and the woman who was riding on the bike with him suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said.

Neither required hospitalization. 

Police said the motorcyclist had a green light and there was a 'Don't Walk' signal when Gay was struck. The motorcyclist has not been charged.