A Greenwich woman is accused of grabbing a golf club during an argument with her housekeeper about broken property, then stealing cash from the woman’s purse.

Police arrested Shari Gray Lampert’s after responding to her $7 million Old Round Hill Lane house just before 10 a.m. on June 29 to investigate a complaint of a fight.

Lampert had had a “tumultuous argument” with her housekeeper about alleged damage done in her home while the housekeep was working there and demanded restitution, according to police.

Lampert was accused of grabbing a golf club, brandishing it toward the housekeeper, then going to the victim’s car, taking her purse and removing all of her cash, police said.

She was charged with fifth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct.

Bond was set at $2,000. She is due in court on August 1.

The charges are not listed on online court dockets and it is not clear if she is being represented by an attorney. 

A Middletown woman is facing animal cruelty charges after a Stop & Shop employee called police to report a dog left in a hot car and the dog ran a high temperature.

Cristal Garcia, 22, asked police for her dog back when she returned to the Stop & Shop parking lot at 416 Main Street on July 23, claiming she had only been inside for five or 10 minutes, police said.

The store employee tried to page Garcia, but no one came to customer service, and called police, according to police. The driver of the car came outside to unlock the car, stating that the dog's owner was in the store buying groceries, police said.

When police arrived, the dog was panting heavily and witnesses were giving the canine water.

Temperatures were about 90 degrees outside and the animal control officer measured the car temperature as 116 degrees even after the driver had started the car to run the air conditioning.

The animal control officer brought the dog to Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center in Middletown for evaluation. The vet took the dog's temperature, measuring it at 104 degrees. The animal control officer told police that 101 degrees is a normal temperature for a dog.

After the dog's body temperature cooled down, the animal control officer returned the dog to the owner, police said.

Police charged Garcia with animal cruelty and she is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 6 at 9 a.m.

Lake Waramaug in Kent has reopened after closing due to a water quality issue, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The swimming area at the state park was closed since Wednesday due to high bacteria levels in the water.

That may have been due to run off or rainy weather, according to DEEP.

DEEP tested the water quality at Connecticut's state beaches Monday and said that all are open.

Police are searching for the man who stabbed a 52-year-old panhandler on Monday afternoon in New Haven.

The victim was standing in front of a market in the 300 block of Grand Avenue when he asked a man for money to buy cigarettes and they got into a heated argument, according to police.

When the customer left the store, the argument continued and the victim told police the man had something in his hand and raised it.

The victim thought it was a gun, so he ran across the street.

The other man ran after the victim, stabbed him in the upper back, then got into a black Honda driven by a woman and fled, according to police.

Police and EMTs responded to Grand Street after getting a report through 911.

The victim's injury was minor, according to police, and he was released from Yale- New Haven Hospital after being treated.

Detectives are going through surveillance footage from the area to try and find the assailant.

 

Two New Jersey high school football players riding in the back of a friend's Mustang convertible were killed in a crash in Randolph Saturday, authorities say. 

Jack Timmerman and Calvin Verduga, who were about to enter their senior year at Randolph High School, were riding in the back of the new car when the driver crashed near on Ironia Road around 1:30 p.m., according to the Morris County prosecutor's office.

The driver and a front-seat passenger survived. 

Friends said Monday that the driver got his license last month and had only been driving the car for a few days prior to the accident. It's not clear what caused the crash, but teens gathered at the crash site said they believed the driver was speeding. 

Timmerman's girlfriend said he often told friends to slow down.

"I know that he doesn't like fast driving. Never has," said Kerry Eberly, in tears as she wore a necklace bearing his name. 

Timmerman's last words to Eberly, whom he'd been dating since eighth grade, came in a text message just before the crash: "Driving in a roofless convertible." 

The school district's superintendent opened Randolph High School Monday to make counseling services available to students. 

"Our entire school community is in mourning and our thoughts are most certainly with the families and friends of the two students, beloved by so many," Superintendent David Browne said in a statement. 

Grieving friends gathered at the crash site Monday and left photos and messages for Timmerman and Verduga. 

Football teammate Brad Davis said, "They always cared for everyone and they always wanted our school to come together as one."

"Everyone had a different connection with them," added friend Jacqueline Zolla. "I don't know how this will work when school starts. It's going to be really hard." 

A missing 12-year-old Hamden girl has been found after police issued a Silver Alert for her when she didn't return home Saturday night.

Imani Reid, of Hamden, was missing since Saturday, last seen at 9 p.m. on the New Haven Green. Police described her as an endangered runaway.

There was a Salt-N-Pepa concert on the Green that evening at 7 p.m. as part of the free Music on the Green concert series, but it's unclear at this time whether Reid attended the concert.

State police troopers responded to a crash involving a car and two motorcycles near the intersection of Route 6/Hop River Road and Route 44/Boston Turnpike in Bolton on Tuesday afternoon.

The state Department of Transportation reports that the intersection was closed near Williams Road while authorities responded to the scene.

As of about 2:30 p.m., the road was open and the vehicles were being towed from the scene. The car apparently sustained front-end damage.

There has been no word on injuries.

Police are asking for help to find a Coventry man who has been missing since Monday.

The last time anyone spoke to Thomas McManus, 51, was around 4:30 a.m. on Monday and a Silver Alert was issued just before 9 a.m. on Monday.

McManus has blue eyes and grey hair. He is around 5-feet-10 and weighs 185 pounds.

When he was last seen, he was wearing a green polo shirt. 

He is driving a 2004 Chevy Astro Van with Connecticut plate 1784CK.

Anyone information should call the Coventry Police at (860) 742-7331. 

Attorneys for the family of a Southington teen who died in an apartment fire last month have filed an intent to sue the town and fire department for negligence in failing to realize the 19-year-old was still inside the burning building when firefighters responded to the scene.

Kristen Milano died June 22 when her unit at Summer Brook Apartments went up in flames early that morning. Her death was ruled a homicide, and police charged 18-year-old Eric Morelli in her death. Friends and neighbors said Morelli may have been trying to wake Milano’s brother by throwing a lit firecracker at the apartment window.

Morelli was charged with first-degree manslaughter and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. He appeared in court for the second time Tuesday and his case was subsequently transferred to New Britain, according to Bristol Superior Court.

The warrant for Morelli’s arrest remains sealed. He’s due back in court Sept. 4.

Firefighters at the scene initially believed everyone had made it out safely. It wasn’t until later, when they were searching the apartment, that they found Milano’s body in a second-floor bedroom, the Associated Press reports.

Now Milano’s family is planning to sue the town, according to a notice from attorney Marisa A. Bellair with Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante addressed to the town clerk and fire chief.

The notice alleges that “the Southington Fire Department and/or the Southington Volunteer Fire Department… was negligent in its response to a structure fire at 32A [Darling] Street… in that it/they, or its/their agents, servants or employees failed to perform its/their duties as would reasonable firefighters and/or volunteer firefighters considering the circumstances in that they failed to locate the plaintiff, who was asleep in a bedroom in the structure. The plaintiff claims further that said negligence was a direct and proximate cause of death of the plaintiff.”

The Southington Town Manager’s office declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation.

When 2-year-old Kayden Kinckle took his first steps on prosthetic legs, he didn’t want help.

“I got it, I got it, I got it,” Kayden said with each step. A YouTube video documenting the milestone for the Englewood, New Jersey, kid's family and friends has since been viewed more than 800,000 times. 

His parents say he has always been this confident despite doctors' doubts. 

"If he wants something, he will get it and that could be good sometimes and bad sometimes," Kayden's father, Kevin Kinckle, told NBC. "He's always been a warrior." 

Kayden was diagnosed in utereo with omphalocelea, a birth defect in the abdominal wall that causes an infant’s intestines, liver and some other organs to grow outside the body. Kayden also had a band wrapped around his legs in the womb — causing deformities that required him to have his left leg and right foot amputated in January. One out of 7,000 children are born with opmhalocelea, and nearly half of all babies born with opmhalocelea also have other birth defects, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

The numbers of children living without limbs are unclear because of doctor's confidentiality agreements, according to the Amputee Coalition. Nearly 2 million people across the United States have limb loss.

Kayden's mother Nikki Kinckle said doctors had advised her to consider whether to carry her baby to term. She said the suggestion didn't make her angry, because it was a "fact" that her baby would face serious challenges. 

"The nurse asked me if my house was wheelchair-accessible, and that was hard," Nikki said.

The proud parents have received a volley of messages online from people who have been inspired by Kayden's can-do attitude and charisma. NFL athlete Michael Vick shared Kayden’s video with the caption, “Luke 1:37- For with God nothing shall be impossible… 'I got it, I got it' lol.” Vick's post contributed to the video going viral around the Fourth of July. Messages of support have included those from other amputees, cancer patients and people who are paralyzed, his mother said. 

Kayden still uses his walker but insists on independence, his father said. The fiery 2-year-old is antsy to stay off the couch. He crawls "very well" without his prosthetics and loves playing basketball with his parents. Kayden even tries to teach his 9-month-old sister, Cherish, how to crawl. After the surgery in January, Kayden still didn't slow down.

"The day after the surgery, he was shooting baskets with me and his mother," Kevin Kinckle said.

The family continues to raise money on GoFundMe.com, which had $73,839 donations as of July 29. The family's first goal was $50,000 to cover past medical expenses such as the surgery and his first pair of prosthetics. After Kayden's viral video success, the couple pushed the goal to $500,000.

"We were made aware that prosthetics are an ongoing thing for life, physical therapy is once a week. He may need more walkers or crutches as he gets olders and his weight changes," Kevin Kinckle said. "We need to adjust as he grows and as technology grows we want the top-of-the-line stuff for him."

The couple talks about Kayden's future all the time. They feel Kayden has proven that he can do anything.

"He is a face of adversity," Kevin Kinckle said. "Whatever he wants to do, we are confident he can do it, whether it's a lawyer or doctor or athlete." 

LifeStar responded to a motorcycle crash on Route 4 near Route 63 in Goshen Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

State police troopers were also at the scene.

There has been no word on injuries. The state Department of Transportation reports that Route 4 was closed for nearly two hours following the crash.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

Jurors on Tuesday convicted a Southern California man of second-degree murder in the slaying of his former roommate, an Army veteran and Cal State Fullerton student with whom prosecutors said he was desperately in love.

Kwang Choi "KC" Joy, 55, was found guilty in the death of 36-year-old Maribel Ramos, whose body was found badly decomposed near Modjeska Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains last year.

Joy's sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 12. He faces 15 years to life in state prison.

Prosecutors said Joy got surgery to make his eyes look younger, paid to take Ramos on a cruise, and panicked when she told him to move out of their apartment when he couldn't pay the rent.

"Maribel was his life, and the opportunity for him to be with the love of his life was coming to an end," Orange County Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons told the jury last week.

Ramos was last seen through surveillance footage, dropping off a rent check for her apartment in Orange on May 2, 2013, officials said.

She got into an argument earlier that day with Joy over rent, prosecutors said. They contended that the fighting, and Ramos' demand that Joy move out, led to her slaying.

When Ramos disappeared, Joy told NBC4 that Ramos was his "only family."

"She's my best friend, and I want her to come back," he said.

Her decomposed body was found later that month near Modjeska Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, prosecutors said. Her cause of death has remained unknown.

Eleven days before her disappearance, Ramos made a 911 call, saying she was "afraid" after an argument with Joy.

Earlier in the trial, Simmons showed video of Joy walking into a public library. His search history there showed that he looked up how long it takes for a human body to decay, and the location where Ramos' body was later found, prosecutors said.

Four people were charged with capital murder on Tuesday in the beating death of a 24-year-old USC graduate student, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Jonathan DelCarmen, 19, Andrew Garcia, 18, Alberto Ochoa, 17, and Alejandra Guerrero, 16, are charged with one count each of murder with the special circumstance of murder during an attempted robbery, prosecutors said.

Capital murder charges make Garcia and DelCarmen eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek that penalty.

Ochoa and Guerrero, who were charged as adults, face life in prison without the possibility of parole, DA's officials said. They are not eligible for the death penalty because they are under 18.

Garcia, Ochoa and Guerrero are also each charged with using a dangerous weapon -- a bat -- to attack Xinran Ji, officials said.

The attack happened July 24 when Ji, an engineering graduate student, was walking home from an off-campus study group about 12:45 a.m. near 29th Street and Orchard Avenue, Los Angeles police said.

Ji was beaten and struck in the head with a bat before he walked back to his apartment in the 1200 block of West 30th Street, leaving a trail of blood, police said.

Ji's roommate found his body about 7 a.m., police said.

After the attack near USC, the suspects allegedly drove to Dockweiler Beach where they allegedly robbed a man and woman. The man managed to escape and flagged down police, officials said.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said during a press conference on Monday that the suspects had done "unspeakable things" that "shocked everyone in the department."

Garcia, Ochoa and Guerrero are also charged with second-degree robbery, attempted second-degree robbery and assault with a deadly weapon -- a bat -- in the second incident, DA's officials said.

USC officials said a memorial service was planned for later this week when Ji's parents arrive to the US.

In a statement that was read outside court by a family friend, the victim's parents, Songbo Ji and Jinhui Du, said they are "extremely angry about this horrific act of violence."

"The only thing in our mind is our son. We want to see him. We would be extremely grateful to the U.S. if they can help us to get visas," the man's parents said in the written statement, noting that they have been forced to cancel airline tickets several times because of delays in obtaining their visas.

The victim's parents added that they "do not want to see another incident like this" and said they "hope that USC can enhance security and guarantee the safety of USC students."

Ji's killing marked the second deadly attack on USC graduate students from China in recent years.

Ying Wu and Ming Qu -- who were also engineering students and were both 23 years old -- were shot to death April 11, 2012, as they sat in a double-parked car on a rainy night in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue, near the USC campus.

One of two men charged in their killings pleaded guilty Feb. 5 to a pair of first-degree murder charges and admitted the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and multiple murders, along with an allegation of personally using and discharging a firearm.

Bryan Barnes, then 21, was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, sparing him a potential death sentence. Co-defendant Javier Bolden, 21, is still awaiting trial in connection with the killings.

City News Service contributed to this report.

The world’s oldest wooden whaling ship is wrapping up its 38th voyage and coming home to Connecticut.

The 173-year-old Charles W. Morgan departed Mystic Seaport in May for a tour of the New England coast. The Morgan wrapped up its time in Massachusetts today and set sail for New London, its final stop before it returns to Mystic on Aug. 6.

The Morgan is set to arrive at New London’s City Pier around 10 a.m. July 30, depending on weather conditions. You can track the ship’s progress online by visiting the Mystic Seaport Web site.

After leaving New London, the Morgan will spend three days on Long Island Sound from July 31 to Aug. 2 and will not be open to the public during that time.

A homecoming celebration will take place Aug. 6 in Mystic beginning at 5 p.m. The Morgan is expected to arrive around 6:15 that evening.

It’s the ship’s first voyage in 100 years and comes following a $12-million five-year restoration.

Newington police have arrested a camp counselor who is accused of putting his hands around an 8-year-old camper’s throat.

Police responded to the Newington Parks and Recreation Department on Monday and learned that another staff member had seen Vicente Ithier-Vicenty, 22, of Newington, put his hands around the neck of a camper under his care, police said.

Authorities said it happened in a bathroom at the Town Hall. Another counselor heard the child crying and reported the incident to his supervisors.

The town department suspended Ithier-Vicenty and called police, according to a news release from police. Ithier-Vicenty's suspension will continue until the investigation is complete.

He was charged with risk of injury to a minor and third-degree strangulation. 

Officials from the Parks and Recreation Department said Ithier-Vicenty was working for a playground program and about 305 children are attending this week.

Each counselor is responsible for 10-12 campers and goes through weeks of training, according to department officials.

Counselor-in-training Evan Metzger knows Ithier-Vicenty well and considers him a mentor.

"Sometimes he would have a short temper with the kids," Metzger explained. "I saw him once grab a kid's arm."

Bruce Till, superintendent of the Parks and Recreation Department, sent a letter to parents of campers Tuesday informing them of the situation.

"We deeply regret that this incident occurred," the letter reads. "We strive to provide the safest possible environment for all children who participate in Parks and Recreation programs. We want to assure all parents that this was an isolated incident, and we are confident that the children in our programs will be cared for in a safe and appropriate manner."

Ithier-Vicenty was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Aug. 11.  

Court records show that Ithier-Vicenty was arrested in a separate incident in Newington on April 3 and charged with disorderly conduct. He is due in court for that case on July 31. 

Ithier-Vicenty has been with the camp since 2009, which conducts background checks on all employees, according to town officials. The camp requires its staff members to undergo weeks of training on policy and procedures.

According to the Parks and Recreation Department, the camp had never had issues with Ithier-Vicenty before, but camp officials said they were aware of his arrest in April. The camp discussed it with police and said they didn't consider it cause for concern.

"We are investigating the incident internally, [and] at the same time letting the criminal justice system run its course," Newington Town Manager John Salomone said in a statement Tuesday. "We are grateful we have a well-trained staff that acted appropriately when needed."

Ithier-Vicenty declined to comment.

Police are looking for two men they say followed an 18-year-old woman into a Brooklyn apartment building elevator, then punched and kicked her before running away with her purse.

The robbers followed the woman into her Midwood building after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, video shows, and then into the elevator. The woman appears to try to get off the elevator, only to be stopped by the men, who drag her out by her hair, throw her to the floor, then punch and kick her repeatedly. 

They then run out of the building with her purse, and one of the suspects tosses the bag as they flee.

The victim was treated for bruising around the eyes at Coney Island Hospital. 

Records show felony assaults are up year over year in the 70th Precinct, where the assault took place: there were 160 reports of assaults in the last year, compared to 141 at this time last year.

Robberies, however, are down: there were 157 reported in the last year compared to 178 at this time last year.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. 

-- Gus Rosendale contributed to this report

Police headed to a Manchester motel Tuesday after receiving reports of drugs and prostitution there and left with a Willimantic man and woman in handcuffs.

Officers were conducting surveillance at the Studio 6 Motel on Spencer Street when they learned that a man had planned to meet a prostitute in one of the rooms, police said.

They watched as 44-year-old Aubrey Johnson knocked on the door and tossed objects into a garbage can on the front porch. Police said those objects turned out to be packets of heroin.

Officers approached Johnson’s car and found 30-year-old Amanda Pelletier sitting in the driver’s seat, rolling marijuana into a blunt, according to police.

A search of the car turned up more than 16 grams worth $600 of cocaine, 96 “Block Party” heroin packets worth $500, 9 grams of marijuana valued at $100, more than $1,000 cash and several cellphones, police said.

Johnson and Pelletier were arrested and charged with a string of drug offenses, including possession of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, possession with intent to sell and possession of drugs in a school zone.

Their bonds were set at $100,000 each.

UCLA students took to social media to share their horror, amazement and even humor as a massive water main break left their campus underwater Tuesday.

"Damn it, L.A. Don't you know California is in a drought?" Kristen Shilton tweeted.

"At least UCLA has a waterfront view?" Mike Roe joked.

"Not worried about the water still flooding out of the sinkhole. I'm worried about what everything's gonna look like after the water clears," Twitter user UCLA_Nation wrote.

"We're practically underwater right now. You can hardly even recognize parts of Campus," they added.

One athlete tweeted that the flood had provided a welcome break from a workout, tweeting, "UCLA flooding saved us from doing 300s."

Scroll down to see more of the tweets, and some of the amazing images users shared.

Advertisements for a law firm flanking the sides of two Connecticut River ferries will come down and be redesigned following backlash from passengers.

Carter Mario Injury Lawyers advertises on CT Transit buses, and this year, the same banners have adorned the Hadlyme-Chester and Glastonbury-Rocky Hill ferries – until today.

"The advertiser requested that the signs be removed from both ferries," said Kevin Nursick of the state Department of Transportation, "so that they can be modified to more accurately reflect the context and character of both of those ferries."

Cindy Mario, of Carter Mario Injury Lawyers, agreed that the ferry "is not the place for advertising" and said the firm only agreed to it after the company responsible for its bus advertisements "explained that the ferry is in trouble and they need money to keep advertising so they had to turn to advertising."

"Putting our bus billboard up there was not the plan," she said in an email to NBC Connecticut on Tuesday, adding that the firm is designing another ad better suited to the "beautiful and serene" nature of the ferry.

"We are in the process of having some artwork done with an old antique picture of the ferry and perhaps an educational timeline," she explained.

One of the ads has already been removed from a ferry traveling between Glastonbury and Rocky Hill.

Ferry passengers said they were surprised and unsettled by the presence of advertisements on board.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. It kind of took away from our trip,” said Daniella Markowski, of New Britain. “We were going up to see Gillette Castle and I wasn’t expecting to see any kind of advertisements, just one nice day.”

Nursick said the DOT will keep the $5,000 paid for the ads, and that the money will go toward offsetting the massive operating loss of more than half a million dollars per year, he said.

The DOT raised ferry fares this year in an effort to compensate for lost revenue, and selling ad space brought in an additional $5,000.

Carter Mario issued the following statement Tuesday:

"We agree and can empathize with many of your viewers that the ferries are not the place for advertising. The fact is that Carter Mario Injury Lawyers was approached by Signal Outdoor, which contracts ad space with the CT Department of Transportation for their busses and ferries. We were asked to place ads on the ferries for this season due to the fact that the ferries in our state needed revenue via advertising to help keep them operating.

"We agreed to place ads in that spirit – a Connecticut business lending a helping hand to a truly iconic part of our Connecticut River.

"The artwork that was placed on the ferries by Signal Outdoor was actually placed without the law firm’s approval, which was the same artwork as the law firm’s bus advertising, seen statewide.

"When we learned that the ads were running, we asked the CT D.O.T and Signal to take down the ads immediately so that something more fitting could be designed and put in its place honoring the ferries and their history.

"We are currently working with our ad agency to design a historically-inspired timeline mural of the Connecticut River and the ferries – which we hope will be in place soon.

"We will continue to give support to worthy causes, like the ferries, across our state, as our firm does each year, donating over $150,000 to various charities in 2014 alone.”

Hartford police are investigating one of their own, who’s been forced to turn in his gun and badge and stay away from police headquarters.

The allegations involve Officer Luis Feliciano’s actions at the Walmart on Flatbush Avenue in Hartford. Police are investigating claims that he stole merchandise while working on a private-duty security job, according to police sources.

One source told NBC Connecticut some of the questionable conduct was caught on tape.

Police sources said Feliciano has been suspended as a criminal investigation gets underway. Police have not made an arrest in the case.

“Yesterday we suspended an officer with pay as a part of an administrative protocol and there is an ongoing criminal investigation right now,” said Deputy Chief Brian Foley of the Hartford Police Department.

Police union president Sgt. Richard Holton declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Walmart also declined to comment.

This incident comes about a year and a half after Hartford police confirm Feliciano’s department-issued gun was stolen in Springfield, Massachusetts. Hartford police released no other details about that incident.