A Norwich man charged in the death of his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, according to New London Superior Court.

Michael A. Rios, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on Thursday, the court said. He was babysitting 13-month-old Madison Reid when the child sustained fatal injuries.

• Norwich Man Charged in Death of Baby

Madison had bleeding on the brain and her death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

According to the affidavit, Rios told police he shook the baby “very hard” and performed CPR after she fell from a bed in May.

Rios saw she wasn't breathing right and brought her to William W. Backus Hospital. Madison was airlifted to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where she died, the affidavit says.

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He was arrested within 48 hours of her death.

Rios will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after 14 years, and is due back in court Sept. 29, according to the court.

A 31-year-old Cheshire man is facing charges after crashing his pickup truck into another car and a school bus carrying campers, then veering off the road and striking a utility pole in Orange, according to police.

Police said Michael Kilday was towing landscaping equipment eastbound on Route 34/Derby Avenue near Route 121/Grassy Hill Road in Orange and was “unable to stop for traffic ahead.” Kilday swerved into another car, then struck a school bus carrying children from a day camp in New Haven and ultimately collided with a pole.

Kilday and the driver of the second car were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to police. Five people on the bus were taken to the hospital for treatment of neck and back pain. Their names and ages have not been released.

Kilday was charged with driving with a suspended license and following too close. He’s due in court July 28.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information is asked to call Cheshire police Officer Sean Murphy at 203-891-2130.

The suspects in Wednesday's deadly bank heist, police chase and gunfight in Stockton were known gang affiliates with deep criminal pasts and no qualms with taking human life amid their "reckless and chaotic" crimes, police said Thursday.

Stockton police detailed the bloody hour-long melee that followed the armed bank robbery — an attack that left dead two suspected robbers and a mother of two whom they took hostage and used as a human shield, just as it left police cars riddled with bullet holes and an entire community reeling.

“In my over two decades of law enforcement, I've never seen or experienced this type of total disregard for human life," Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones told reporters.

• Raw video: Stockton Police Press Conference on Deadly Bank Robbery

The lone suspect to survive the gunfight was identified as Jaime Ramos, 19, who police say was in the back seat of the getaway car and probably survived because he was using a hostage as a human shield. He is a known associate of Norteno gang members, Jones said.

Police say Ramos along with two other armed men robbed a Bank of the West branch in the 7800 block of Thornton Road just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday. They took hostages, tied up the bank's security guard and were successful in taking money from the bank, police said. 

They also tried to kill numerous police officers in broad daylight, putting the entire city at risk, according to police.

Police got a report of a robbery in progress, with three armed men in the building, at 2:11 p.m., and the first officers arrived a minute later.

• Stockton Hostage Left Daughter in Car Before Fatal Bank Heist

One of the robbers was seen heading toward the door with a hostage but then went back inside. The Stockton Crisis Negotiation team was requested within minutes, Jones said, but the three armed robbers exited the building with two employees and a customer as hostages.

• Teacher Threatened to Fail Student Who Tried to Stop Sexual Relationship: Police

The suspects shot one hostage, a bank employee, a moment later, and the hostage jumped from the SUV and survived, Jones said.

The police chase raced through Lodi and Acampo, on freeways and streets, then back to and though North Stockton.

At one point, a police commander in an unmarked car watched the SUV take a highway exit, lie in wait and point an assault rifle at police — in order, the commander believed, to ambush them. The commander opened fire, and the SUV fled.

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Throughout the police chase and gun battle, the suspects fired hundreds of shots at pursuing officers — disabling many patrol cars and an armored vehicle and hitting as many as 14 police vehicles, as well as a slew of houses and cars.

Police fired back several times, Jones said Thursday. “Our officers were in constant danger but continued to pursue, because they had a duty to not allow the suspects to get away,” fearing the suspects would take more hostages or harm other people, he said.

“There was serious risk to the officers and community all the time,” Jones said.

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Another hostage was thrown or jumped from the SUV at 3:15 p.m. and survived, police said.

The getaway SUV was eventually disabled and stopped on Thornton and Otto, in a residential neighborhood, where a furious shootout lasted until the suspects eventually stopped firing.

The gun battle left dead a hostage whom police say the suspects used as a human shield. The slain hostage has been identified as Misty Holt-Singh, a 41-year-old mother of two.

It is unclear when she died, and whose shots – the suspects' or officers' – killed her amid the spray of bullets, police said.

Two of the suspects, ages 30 and 27, were also killed.

• Timeline: Fatal Stockton Bank Heist

Police did not immediately release their names, but said they were "documented gang members" and Stockton residents.

The 30-year-old was driving the SUV, Jones said, and the 27-year-old was the "primary" shooter, sitting in the front passenger seat.

“The fact that these three gunmen put our community in jeopardy is deplorable,” Jones said. “The gunmen had not the slightest intent of a peaceful resolution as they continued to cause mayhem and havoc.”

The robbers were armed with massive amounts of ammunition, some taped or strapped to their bodies. An AK-47 assault rifle, a .45-caliber Glock pistol, a .45-caliber Ruger pistol and a 9mm Ruger pistol were all recovered from the SUV.

Jones said the investigation remains active and is being jointly conducted by the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin County DA and Sheriff’s office and the FBI.

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Ramos is due in court for his arraignment on July 21.

Over 20 Stockton police officers involved in the shooting with the suspects have been placed on paid administrative leave as per protocol.

A severed human head was found in a Long Island neighborhood where severed arms turned up in two separate residential yards last week, authorities say.

Hempstead police say the head was found at about 5 p.m. Thursday on Boylston Street in Hempstead, close to where the two arms were found.

• Staten Island Man Dies While Being Handcuffed: Police

A Hempstead homeowner found a human arm with women's clothing attached to it in his front yard on Webb Avenue on July 9. The next day, someone else discovered another human arm in their yard about a half-mile away, near Stewart Avenue and Cornell Street.

Police were looking into whether the arms are related to to the discovery of a partially dismembered body in a municipal parking lot in Bay Shore on July 8. 

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The remains discovered in the lot July 8 were found by two people walking to the ferry on Fire Island.

Homicide detectives in Nassau and Suffolk counties are investigating as they await DNA results on the other body parts.

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An Oxford man is facing charges after reportedly driving drunk to pick up his 15-year-old son at Naugatuck State Forest, where the son has been illegally riding a motor scooter with three friends and was detained by police, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.

According to the DEEP, the teens rode gas-powered motor scooters through town roads and into the forest Wednesday evening, violating a law that requires motor scooter drivers to be properly licensed and over the age of 16.

Officers had initially responded to the scene after receiving a report of swimmers in the reservoir, the DEEP said. One of the teens riding scooters had reportedly been swimming and was issued a warning.

DEEP Environmental Conservation police detained the teens in the forest and 39-year-old Pawel Dutkiewicz, of Oxford, was called to retrieve his son. The DEEP said officers suspected Dutkiewicz of driving drunk and perform a field sobriety test, which Dutkiewicz failed.

He was arrested after also failing a Breathalyzer test and was charged with driving under the influence, according to the DEEP.

Dutkiewicz was released on $500 bond and is due in court July 25.

Stamford, Connecticut, police have arrested a Stamford High School English teacher who is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student and then threatening to fail him when he tried to break off the relationship.

The teacher, Danielle Watkins, 32, of Norwalk, is on administrative leave, according to the high school. Police said she is a married mother of two.

On June, 23, the Stamford Police Department Special Investigations Unit learned that Watkins might have been involved in an inappropriate relationship with one of her students and started investigating.

Three days later, the student went to the police department and told authorities that he’d had several sexual encounters with his English teacher from September 2013 until June 2014. They took place in her car during school hours, but off school grounds, according to police.

• Slain Hostage Had Left Her Daughter in Car Before Bank Heist

The teen also told police Watkins sent naked messages of herself and allowed him to use her car even though she knew he didn’t have a license, police said.

In additional to the sexual allegations, Watkins supplied the teen and a friend with marijuana, which they smoked both on and off the school grounds during school hours, according to police.

At one point, the teen tried to break off the nine-month relationship. He told police Watkins assaulted him, accused him of being with someone else and threatened to fail him if the sexual encounters stopped.

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The teen needed to pass the class to graduate and confided in a counselor in late June, according to police. The state Department of Children and Families as well as the Board of Education were notified.

"We are aware of the allegations. We take these issues very seriously and always act to protect the welfare of our students.  The teacher in question has been, and will remain, on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.  We will continue to cooperate with the police and other authorities on this matter, " a statement from Stamford Supt. Winifred Hamilton says.

Police said they also identified a 15-year-old student who Watkins allegedly gave marijuana to.

When police spoke to him, he said he smoked marijuana with in Watkins in her vehicle on school grounds during school hours and that she also provided him marijuana and rolling papers on several occasions, police said.

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Police searched Watkins car, phone, and home on June 27.

When police tried to pull Watkins over during a traffic stop, she tried to hide her phone under the passenger seat and argued with police when they found marijuana in the vehicle, police said.

She was arrested and charged with interfering with a search warrant and possession of marijuana charges, police said.

When police searched the phone, they found more than 2,000 text messages and hundreds of calls between Watkins and the victim, as well as naked messages she sent, police said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant and charged her with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and sale of marijuana, Bond was set at $75,000.

A second warrant, issued for allegations concerning the second victim, charges her with sale of marijuana and risk of injury to a minor. Bond was set at $25,000 and she posted bail.

Watkins turned herself in to police on Thursday and is due in court on July 31.

Police also notified States Attorney Ornousky, who worked with the in conjunction with the special investigative unit.

 

The former chief of Coventry Volunteer Fire Department will spend time in prison after having a sexual relationship with a teenage junior firefighter and impregnating her, according to the court and warrant for his arrest.

Joseph Carilli, 54, was arrested last year and charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. The teen told police she and Carilli had been having sex since she was 15, and Carilli later admitted to the relationship, according to the warrant.

• Firefighters Charged With Sex Assault of Teen Volunteers

He was the fire chief when the relationship began.

Police said Carilli turned himself in after learning about the warrant for his arrest.

Another volunteer firefighter in the company, Joe Fragoso, was also accused of having sexual relations with a teenage junior firefighter. He was a second lieutenant at the time, police said.

Carilli was sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after 10, and 10 years of probation on Thursday. He’ll begin serving time right away, according to the court.

Information on an attorney for Carilli was not immediately available.

A person has died in a crash on Bush Hill Road in Brooklyn Thursday evening, according to state police.

The road has been closed since about 7 p.m. while emergency crews respond to the scene.

It's not clear how long the road will remain closed.

The victim has not been identified.

Check back for updates.

Lock up! That’s the warning from Naugatuck police after nearly two dozen cars were broken into over the last few days.

Police say burglars are stealing from unlocked cars across town and are searching for the people responsible.

NBC Connecticut obtained exclusive home surveillance video of one of those crimes.

The footage shows a vehicle pulling up to a driveway on Church Street overnight Tuesday. Two men get out and head toward one of the parked cars. They open the unlocked doors and take whatever they can find.

One camera angle gives a good look at the pair rummaging through the homeowner's car for a few minutes. The resident said they stole a phone and some cash.

“It makes you angry it makes you feel violated,” said Naugatuck resident Norman Cool, whose cars were also broken into that night on Gabriel Drive. “The glove compartments were open, the GPS was gone.”

Cool's neighbors were also targeted.

“The glove compartment was open everything inside the glove compartment was on the seat,” said Antonella Albi. Two of her cars on Olivia Lane were ransacked. “I'm a little fearful.”

Naugatuck police say nearly two dozen cars have been targeted recently. It’s unclear whether the culprits shown on the Church Street surveillance footage are linked to the other crimes.

“The kids are walking around lifting door handles, if the doors are unlocked, and taking whatever they can,” said Naugatuck police Det. Jay Pugliese. “Lock your car doors.”

Residents are taking his advice.

“We lived here for years and years. We never locked the doors," said Cool. "Now we lock our doors.”

 Crews are responding to a fire at 7 Intervale Road in Burlington, according to Litchfield County Dispatch.

Harwinton and New Hartford were among those providing mutual aid to Burlington.

There are no details available at this time, but a viewer photo shows flames flaring up at a house set back amongst trees.

Check back for updates.

Four months have passed since Rham Middle School teacher Dawn Mallory was run over and killed in the school’s parking lot. Now members of the RHAM and Hebron communities are calling for a closer look at the traffic issues.

Police say on March 14 a parent accidentally drove into the bus lane, abruptly backed up and ran her over. The town is possibly facing a suit from Daw Mallory-Bushor's estate for the death.

With the exception of some new speed bumps and some signage, four months later, the parking lot still looks the same. 

“If this was your child, if this was your husband, your wife or mother, you would want something done and you would want it done a lot sooner than four months after the accident," says Rham Middle School teacher George Deliman.

According to Deliman, Rham teachers know of more than 100 close calls between cars and pedestrians during pick-up and drop-off hours. Now, the town of Hebron has brought on a consulting firm to look at the problem parking lot.

“This type of meeting does give us good guidance on what the public is thinking and it usually does ducktail with the types of solutions we come up with,” says James Ford, a senior associate with Beta Group.

On Thursday, Ford moderated a public hearing calling on the crowd for comments and ideas. He says the firm is already aware of basics that can be approved upon, such as separating school traffic and buses from passenger cars, but understands there are more concerns.

“I think a lot of the confusion is for people who have high school and middle school children. I am one of them and wanting the best for all your students and you have a middle schooler walking through the parking lot at drop off,” said Sarah Kuerbitz.

According to Deliman confusion is only beginning. He also points out traffic, congestion and pedestrian issues.

“Something needs to be done and it needs to be done by the starts of school.” Says Deliman.

Possible solutions discussed Thursday include making parking a privilege not a promise, staggering dismissal or not allowing students who drive to leave until the buses are gone.

The firm plans to conduct additional interviews over the next two weeks and present their proposals by August first. For Deliman they can’t come soon enough.

“Dawn was a friend of mine, a coworker. I was the first one on the scene to perform first aid. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”
 

A single mother from Philadelphia could be facing up to three years in prison for what she and her attorney say was her effort to be honest with New Jersey authorities.

On Oct. 1, 2013, Shaneen Allen, 27, was pulled over in Atlantic County, New Jersey, for a routine traffic stop. When the officer approached her vehicle, the mother of two informed him that she had a handgun in the car and presented her concealed carry permit for Pennsylvania.

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Allen quickly learned that her Pennsylvania gun license held no legal weight in New Jersey when instead of getting a traffic ticket, she was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and armor penetrating bullets.

"She voluntarily and honestly told the officer that she had her licensed handgun and gave him her license to carry," Allen's attorney Evan Nappen said.

"She’s a hard-working single mom. It’s really crazy that New Jersey is taking someone who’s got no criminal record and was doing nothing wrong — other than a minor traffic violation — and making it into a felony-level conviction with minimal mandatory time."

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Nappen is a New Jersey-based criminal defense attorney whose practice focuses on gun law. He says his client did not know it was illegal to have her .380 Bersa Thunder handgun and the hollow-point bullets in it while driving through the state.

According to the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association, Pennsylvania concealed carry permits, like the one Allen has, are honored in 30 other states. New Jersey is not one of them.

If found guilty, Allen could face up to three years in prison with no chance of parole.

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Nappen says Allen purchased the gun through a licensed dealer roughly a week before her arrest because she feared for her safety. She had been robbed twice earlier that year.

According to Nappen, Allen's case is particularly unfortunate because she has two small children, and because an Atlantic County prosecutor denied Allen admission into a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program that would have allowed for a more lenient punishment, a period of probation and some community service.

Nappen says he's seen at least a dozen similar cases in the past year. He believes a federal law mandating concealed carry license reciprocity among states might be a fix for the issue.

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"People believe that your gun license should be treated like your driver’s license. Right now there’s a national law being proposed that would mandate that all states recognize other states licenses," he said. "It’s still pending, but it's needed for people like this. I’m calling that bill Shaneen’s law."

University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Kermit Roosevelt said New Jersey authorities were well within their rights when they arrested Allen.

"I don't think the law is problematic. Each state has legal authority to regulate behavior within its borders. So, they're saying we have laws, and if you come here, you have to play by our rules," he said.

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When it comes to firearms laws, New Jersey is considered to be one of the strictest states in the country.

Roosevelt agreed that a federal law might be a good solution for the future.

"I think, as a general matter, a federal law would be a good idea. When you get conflicts between the states about issues like this, Congress is supposed to weigh everyone's interests and find a reasonable resolution," he said. "In the meantime, it's still up to the states."

A court date for Allen's case has been set for Aug. 5. Nappen said he plans to request a dismissal of all charges.

A group of burglars broke into a Long Island home and killed the family's three-legged dog as it tried to race out the door, police say.

Four to five men tried to break into a house on Montauk Highway near Doane Avenue in North Bellport Thursday afternoon, but were confronted by four adults inside the home at the time, according to Suffolk police.

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The residents tried to push the door back against the burglars, but were sprayed in the face with a chemical substance, authorities said.

As the victims managed to start closing the door, the family dog, an 11-year-old three-legged pit bull named Sarah, raced out, police said. The suspects shot the dog with a small caliber handgun and ran away.

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Sarah died from her wound.

Nothing was taken in the burglary attempt, and no one else was hurt. Police are looking for the suspects, who had their faces partially covered.

A water main break at Midway Oval near Concord Court in Groton is affecting more than three dozen homes and the road is closed, according to Groton Town Police.

The 8-inch main that broke around 2:30 a.m., police said, and Groton Utilities is working on it.

 

A Dutch former graduate student from Indiana University was a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight that was shot down Thursday in Ukraine, the head coach of the rowing team at Indiana University confirmed to NBC Chicago.

Karlijn Keijzer, a 25-year-old from Amsterdam, was a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, according to head coach Stephen Peterson.

"The Indiana Rowing family is deeply saddened by the news of Karlijn's sudden passing," Peterson said. "She came to us for one year as a graduate student and truly wanted to pursue rowing. That year was the first year we really started to make a mark with the First Varsity 8 boat and she was a huge reason for it. She was a phenomenal student and loved IU so much that she stayed here after she earned her master's degree. Our condolences go out to her family and friends in this very tough time."

Keijzer's parents posted on her Facebook page that the young traveler was on the flight.

"Our beautiful, lively, brilliant daughter Karlijn was in the plane that crashed together with her boyfriend Laurens. We just received confirmation from Malaysian Airlines."

Keijzer was on the rowing team at Indiana University in 2010, teammate Amy Sanders told NBC Chicago.

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"She was just like the happiest, go-lucky person ever," Sanders said. "So happy and just full of energy all the time."

Sanders, who lives in Chicago, said Keijzer was a frequent traveler.

"I just couldn't believe it," she said. "It's like our first teammate that we've lost."

Keijzer's bio on the team's website said she is one of three children and was a chemistry graduate student at the university.

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"On behalf of the entire Indiana University community, I want to express my deepest sympathies to Karlijn's family and friends over her tragic death," Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie said. "Karlijn was an outstanding student and a talented athlete, and her passing is a loss to the campus and the university. Our hearts also go out to the families of all the victims of this senseless act."

A jet carrying 295 people crashed in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, and a Ukrainian adviser said it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

The founder of the Malaysian Club of Chicago said Thursday there may be some local connections to the victims of the Malaysia Airlines crash Thursday.

Dr. Kim Tee, who's also a Bridgeview podiatrist, told NBC 5 that he spoke with a Chicago woman via social media who believes she has a close friend from Chicago on the flight and is awaiting confirmation.

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The full passenger list has not been released.

Tee says there's an estimated 500 Malaysian families and 2,000 students in the Midwest. He says many may have traveled back home this month for the Malaysian New Year celebration called Eid, which signals the end of the fasting period of Ramadan.
 

Thousands of Hartford HealthCare Medical Group patients might need new vaccinations after doses of vaccines for influenza, tetanus and more were apparently stored at the wrong temperature.

The doses for influenza, pneumonia and the family of tetanus/pertussis vaccines might not have been stored at the manufacturers’ recommended temperature guidelines since Jan. 2, 2013, the medical group said in a news release.

This would not harm patients, but the effectiveness of the vaccine might be reduced, according to the news release.

Several other vaccines commonly administered in doctors' offices might also be affected.

"We had a problem with ineffective vaccines because the temperature in those refrigerators was not in the appropriate range," the company's chief medical officer Dr. Rocco Orlando said.

The issue affects 5,003 doses of vaccines given to 3,833 patients at the medical group’s offices in Enfield, on South Main in West Hartford, in Storrs and in Unionville.

No other Hartford HealthCare Medical Group locations have had temperature-control issues.

Hartford HealthCare Medical Group said it has checked its refrigeration storage units and will continue to monitor units to ensure that all vaccines are being properly stored.

It is reaching out to all the patients who received an ineffective vaccine to answer questions and set up appointments for new vaccines at no charge to the patients.

Patients should contact their primary care providers for additional information.

Patients and family members may call the hotline at (877) 707-4442 or get more information online here.
 
 

The former executive director of a Hartford non-profit is accused of stealing more than $205,000 from the non-profit organization, which dissolved in 2010, and withdrawing much of it from ATMs at the local casinos.

Karen O. Lewis, 57, of Windsor, was arrested late Thursday in connection of the alleged theft of money from the South Arsenal Neighborhood Development Corporation, a non-profit organization that ran several economic and community development programs in the North End of Hartford.

According to court paperwork, Lewis had players club cards at both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos, and used a SAND debit card to withdraw cash at the casinos, sometimes hitting both of them on the same day.

Between August 3, 2005 and December 31, 2009, she withdrew $192,504.24 from ATMs at both Mohegan and Foxwoods casinos, according to court paperwork. The debit card was also used to make debit card purchases at stores including Home Depot and Walmart and to pay her Comcast cable bill. 

One of the non-profit's officials told police that Lewis was hoping for a big win at the casinos to pay the money back. 

She resigned as executive director as of Dec. 31, 2009.

The SAND corporation was dissolved on December 30, 2010. Officials told authorities that they realized in late 2009 or early 2010 that SAND could not survive without new sources of funding. Old sources of funds would no longer provide it because the organization was "tainted," according to court documents.

Officials said the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection referred the case to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

Lewis turned herself in to inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office and was released on a $150,000 surety bond.

She was charged with one count of first-degree larceny and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on July 28.

 

If you have outstanding parking tickets in Hartford, you'll want to take advantage of the beat the boot program, which ends today. 

The city has been offering a 20-percent discount for outstanding citations that were issued before December 31, 2013, except for those that are under adjudication, but today is the last day for it.    

Beginning on July 21, the Hartford Parking Authority will start booting vehicles of people with five or more unpaid parking citations. If you don't take care of it in 24 hours, your car might be towed.

You can make payments online at www.hartfordparking.com.

If you prefer to pay in person, go to the Office of Parking Management, 160 Market Street in Hartford, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also take care of fines by calling 866-425-3269.       

An 18-year-old Waterbury man is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and first-degree kidnapping, though details of the case are secret by court order.

All that has been made public is that the rape occurred July 9.

Rashard Crawford is in jail held on $1.75 million bond.

He was also charged Thursday in connection with a robbery July 12. He had been arrested July 1 in a domestic disturbance with his sister but he released after promising to return to court on a breach of peace charge.

Waterbury police are still trying to tie Crawford to unsolved robberies, said Deputy Chief Chris Corbett, in a statement accusing Crawford of committing the violent rape alone.

"Rashard Crawford acted alone and we are not searching for any other suspects," Corbett said.

A convicted felon from Meriden is facing new charges after officers found heroin, marijuana, prescription drugs and a stolen handgun in his BMW after pulling him over on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington Tuesday, according to police.

Officers stopped 38-year-old Angel Caballero while he was driving his BMW northbound on the Berlin Turnpike around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police said they pulled him over for an equipment violation but searched the car to find found 168 bags of heroin, 57 grams of marijuana, prescription bottles containing 124 pills of morphine, Adderall and Ritalin, drug paraphernalia and a loaded .45-caliber handgun that had been stolen from Hartford.

Caballero was arrested and charged with a number of drug, weapon and motor vehicle offenses, including possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a firearm by a felon and failure to properly display a license plate.

He was released on $150,000 bond.