Three adults and a 1-month-old boy were injured in a New Haven crash after a dog was hit by a car and its owner drove after the offending vehicle, hitting a parked car and causing a chain reaction, according to police.

Police said a dog ran into the road Wednesday and was struck in the area of Orchard and Goffe streets. The vehicle did not stop, and the dog's owner jumped in the car and started pursuing it.

According to police, the dog owner ran a red light during the chase and struck another car at the intersection. That car subsequently hit another vehicle, pushing it into a parked car.

"I thought I heard a dog park first, and then a car spend up and then [there was] a huge crash," said witness Jonathan Oliver.

No serious injuries were reported, but emergency officials were initially concerned about the baby's condition. Police said the baby wasn't hurt, but was not riding in a carseat.

The dog owner who allegedly ran the red light and the woman holding the unrestrained child were ticketed, according to police.

The victims were treated at St. Raphael's and Yale-New Haven hospitals.
 

For eight or nine hours on Wednesday, California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins will be acting as the state's top chief executive— the first openly gay governor in state history.

That's because this week, the three above her on the state org chart are not in town.

Gov. Jerry Brown is on a trade mission in Mexico this week. As the Washington Post noted, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom filled in for a bit, but is on the East Coast for a Special Olympics event. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg then took over for a while, but he had plans to be in Chicago on Wednesday.

"I feel so grateful," Atkins said in an email on Wednesday forwarded by her spokesman. "I wish my parents could see this. Now I know that may sound hokey to many. But honestly, this is what is going through my mind. If Governor Brown wants a few more days away I'm here for him!"

Atkins spokesman Will Shuck confirmed Atkins will "hold the role of acting governor for approximately one business day, ending this evening on the return of governor." 

Atkins, D-San Diego, is the first openly lesbian leader of either California chamber, succeeding the first openly gay Assembly speaker, John Pérez, a Democrat from Los Angeles.

She shared on her Facebook page that filling in is nothing new: during her time on the San Diego city council, the now 51-year-old Atkins served as acting mayor after other city officials stepped down. She was the first lesbian to hold that position, too.

But Atkins was not focusing on making history due to her sexual orientation on Wednesday. She took the opportunity to highlight her roots -- growing up "in poverty in Virginia" -- and her journey to becoming acting governor for a day.

Atkins, who has focused on funding state universities and advocating for victims of violence and abuse during her time at the Capitol, had a full calendar ahead of her.

But the first act, she tweeted out, was to make sure the temporary first dogs of California - Haley and Joey -  got their morning walk. She shares her pooches with wife, Jennifer LeSar, in the South Park/Golden Hill community of San Diego.

Passengers in a car traveling through Topsfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday morning had a frightening ordeal when an ax became lodged in their windshield.

They were driving on Route 95 southbound around 11 a.m. when the ax flew off the landscaper's dump truck in front of them and hit their windshield, Massachusetts State Police said in on Facebook. 

The ax went halfway through the windshield and became lodged there.

Although the person in the passenger seat was shaken up, she was not injured.

Had the driver of the car been speeding, the outcome could have been much worse, police said.

The driver of the truck was cited for a failure to secure cargo.

Police are using the scary incident to warn contractors, or any drivers, to properly secure items they are transporting, including tools, building materials, bicycles, canoes, luggage, furniture and beach chairs.
 

Remnants of an 18th-century ship found buried in soil 20 feet under the World Trade Center site four years ago have been traced to Colonial-Era Philadelphia, according to a new study.

The 32-foot piece of the vessel was found in July 2010 as bulldozers excavated a parking garage for the future building. At the time, historians said the ship likely dated back to the 1700s, and that it was defunct by the time lower Manhattan's western shoreline covered it up around 1818.

But the mystery of its origins persisted -- until now.

Scientists at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory analyzed the skeletal remains of the ship using dendrochronology, which relies on tree rings to determine dates and chronological order.

In a study published in the journal Tree Ring Research, the scientists say they traced the white oak used in the ship's frame to an old growth forest in the Philadelphia era. The article says the trees were probably cut around 1773, shortly before the Revolutionary War.

Wood sampled from Independence Hall in Philadelphia 20 years ago had growth rings that matched those from the World Trade Center ship, suggesting the wood used in both constructions came from the same area.

Scientists say they believe the ship is a Hudson River Sloop, designed by the Dutch to carry passengers and cargo over shallow, rocky water. The article says it was likely built in Philadelphia, a shipbuilding hub during the Colonial era, and used for 20 to 30 years before sailing to what would become its final stop in lower Manhattan.

Workers and archaeologists had also found a 100-pound anchor in the same area as the ship, but it wasn't clear at the time if it belonged to the ship.

A former East Hartford police officer has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after he was found with child pornography DVDs in 2012, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Andrew Nielsen, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in March. He was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Nielsen purchased DVDs containing child pornography from a foreign company between November 2010 and April 2011 and had them shipped to his home in South Windsor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He was arrested in November 2012 after federal authorities searched his home and found the DVDs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

He resigned from his position with the East Hartford Police Department following his arrest.

The town of Cheshire will demolish the clutter-filled home where a 66-year-old woman died in June.

Beverly Mitchell, who neighbors described as a hoarder, was found dead in the basement of 22 Winslow Road after a postman reported mail was piling up.

Emergency crews had to tear open a wall and use an excavator to sift through all the trash, according to people in the neighborhood. Police said Mitchell had refused help in the past from social services.

The structural damage to the first floor was so significant that emergency responders couldn't enter the home safely until two days after initially responding to the call for a welfare check.

Town Manager Michael Milone said the town put a lien on property to try to recover expenses associated with demolition.

Demolition is set to begin this morning and should be completed by Friday, according to a spokesperson for the town.

Police are investigating after a man was shot once in the leg during an altercation over a woman outside an apartment complex on Pinehurst Drive in Waterbury Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, the shooting happened in the parking lot during a dispute over a woman. Police said the suspect and victim knew one another.

The victim was taken to Saint Mary's Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening njuries. Police said he was not seriously wounded.

The suspect was taken into custody, according to police.

Neither the victim nor the suspect have been identified.

A plane leaving LaGuardia Airport returned shortly after takeoff and was evacuated after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, officials say. 

Envoy Air 3340, headed to Knoxville, Tennessee, turned around and made an emergency landing on Runway 22 at about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to the FAA.

The passengers were escorted from the Embraer 145 and bused to the terminal.

The runway was closed briefly as officials responded. 

None of the 44 passengers or three crew members were injured, officials say. 

More than 20 million gallons of water were lost during Tuesday's massive water main break near UCLA, doubling the initial estimate, officials said.

Crews were still shutting off water to the busted pipe under Sunset Boulevard north of the UCLA campus Wednesday afternoon. Repairs weren't even expected to begin until after the water was shut off, said James B. McDaniel, the senior assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's water system.

"This is a very unfortunate incident," he said during an afternoon press conference. "This is one of our bigger ruptures. It is a major event for us."

Hundreds of vehicles are stranded in flooded parking structures and historic Pauley Pavilion's court shows signs of damage after a water main break Tuesday that sent up to 10 million gallons of water gushing onto Sunset Boulevard and the UCLA campus for more than three hours.

At a mid-day news conference, school officials said they are waiting for areas to "dry out" before they can provide detailed damage estimates. Campus officials characterized the campus as in a "drying phase" Wednesday after the water removal process continued overnight.

Large blower machines were being used in the historic Pauley Pavilion, Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, JD Morgan Center and John Wooden Center. School officials said Wednesday morning the Pauley Pavilion court showed signs of "expansion and buckling."

The break occurred at the Y-shaped meeting point of a 30-inch pipe installed in 1921 and a 36-inch pipe installed in 1956. Both pipes ruptured and blew open a 25-foot wide, 5-foot deep sinkhole at about 3:30 p.m. in the 10600 block of West Sunset Boulevard, officials said.

"I can't speculate on what caused the leak at this point," said Jeff Bray, of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. "This repair is at the Y where the 30-inch main comes in at an extreme angle to the 36-inch main. The top of the pipe just lifted up and created an opening in the pipe."

As for repairs and detailed damage assessments, crews must wait until after the closure of two leaks discovered along the pipes. The pipes deliver water to the area at a high velocity from Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir, a body of water about eight miles north of Westwood near the Sepulveda Pass.

"We cannot begin repairs until we get the water completely down," Bray said. "We're looking at an extended period of time."

Repairs are likely to cause traffic problems in the heavily traveled area through Thursday because Sunset Boulevard between Veteran Avenue and Hilgard Avenue will be closed for road work.

Two parking structures and six facilities on the UCLA campus were damaged. UCLA had crews working throughout the night to remove water from those buildings.

"Unfortunately, UCLA was the sink for this water source," said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said.

About 900 cars were inside Parking Lot 4 and Parking Lot 7, the two parking structures affected by the flooding. Officials say because the water may be mixed with toxic chemicals such as oil and gas, the water has to be safely removed and cannot just be pumped out into the street. UCLA is working with private companies to remove the water from the structure, Moore said.

Officials say the cars in the structure will not be accessible until Friday.

"A little less than half are totally submerged," said Kelly Schmader, assistant vice chancellor for UCLA.

Motorists traveling in the area should use Santa Monica Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard or Olympic Boulevard to avoid the road closure.

All UCLA summer camp programming, including recreational activities, were suspended Wednesday, according to campus officials.

NBC4's Samia Khan contributed to this report.

One of three men charged in the armed robbery of a Westport bank has been extradited from New York to face charges in Connecticut, according to the Westport Police Department.

Derrick Gilliam, 27, was arrested earlier this month in connection with the July 2 robbery of the TD Bank at 1111 Post Road East in Westport. He’s the third and final person to be charged in the crime.

Lancelot Andrew Supersad, 19, and Anthony Santiago, 20, both of Bridgeport, were also arrested in connection with the robbery. Police said one of them had a gun.

Authorities tracked down Gilliam in Brooklyn, New York, where he had been hiding after fleeing the state, police said. He was taken into custody July 4 and was held as a fugitive from justice.

Gilliam was extradited to Connecticut on Wednesday. He was charged with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, third-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.

Supersad and Santiago are facing identical charges.

Gilliam is being held on $250,000 bond and is due in court Thursday.

A former Connecticut resident is facing federal charges for allegedly defrauding U.S. military veterans out of $175,000 they invested in a restaurant and blast-resistant window glass company he claimed to be starting up in Iraq but never did, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Joseph T. Morris, 51, who now lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is accused of telling investors in October 2011 that he had plans to open up a pizza restaurant at the U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq and was starting up a business selling special heat- and blast-resistant glass for hotels, homes and government buildings across Iraq, the release says. The purported business was based in Wilton.

According to the July 1 indictment, Morris ““made numerous fraudulent representations to his co-founders regarding the restaurant and the window film business, knowing that the representations would be communicated to potential investors to induce them to invest in the company.”

The release says Morris used fake emails and photos to convince investors he had signed a lease for the pizza place and had obtained an “exclusive arrangement” with a specialty window film manufacturer.

As a result, about a dozen investors, including U.S. military veterans, put $175,000 into the company, money Morris used for his own personal purposes, according to the release.

A company co-founder discovered the scam in late April or early May 2012 and Morris’ “businesses” collapsed, the release says.

Morris was charged with five counts of wire fraud and could face a total of 100 years in prison if convicted. The indictment was unsealed yesterday during Morris’ arraignment, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Police and firefighters responded to a home on Nye Street in Manchester after a resident discovered an old World War II-era mortar round while cleaning out her garage, according to the fire department.

The woman called police shortly before noon Wednesday to report a possible explosive device “oozing [a] green substance” in her garage, fire officials said. She told authorities it may have been an old military ordnance given to her late husband.

Firefighters responded to the home and identified the device as a 12-inch vintage mortar round. It did not pose an immediate threat, so no one was evacuated, but the resident’s next-door neighbors were asked to stay inside while a State Police Bomb Squad technician removed the device, according to fire officials.

The scene was cleared around 1 p.m., firefighter said.

Authorities responded to an apartment building at 60 Hanover Street in Meriden on Wednesday afternoon after a resident told police she had been assaulted there.

The woman told investigators she had been attacked in her apartment at Hanover Towers. Officers arrived on scene to find her incoherent, according to police.

Police said they're still investigating to determine whether a crime took place.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates.

A 37-year-old Norwalk man is facing charges after sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, according to police.

Mario Morales-Garcia, 37, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

Investigators learned of the assault on July 26 after the victim described a “pattern of sexual abuse” to a family member, police said.

The Norwalk Hour reports that Morales-Garcia threatened to have the girl deported to Mexico if she told anyone what had happened, and that the girl’s mother overheard a conversation between Morales-Garcia and the victim during which he allegedly instructed her to apply personal lubricant and massage oil to herself.

Police haven’t disclosed the details of the arrest or the relationship between Morales-Garcia and the victim.

Morales-Garcia was taken into custody on Chestnut Street in Norwalk. He was held on a $100,000 bond and appeared in court Wednesday.

U.S. Sen. Rosa DeLauro is pushing for a new bill that would tax sugary drinks in an effort to cut the cost of health care and raise awareness of medical conditions related to caloric sweeteners like sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

The Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Act would impose a tax of 1 cent per teaspoon of sweetener, according to a release from DeLauro’s office.

Tax money would fund prevention and treatment programs for obesity, diabetes and other conditions that can be caused by sweetened beverages, as well as research and health education, the release says.

According to the release, health conditions related to sugar sweeteners cost an average of $190 billion in medical expenses per year. Taxpayers foot more than 20 percent of the bill.

The full text of the bill is available online.

A small plane crashed in the parking lot of a busy San Diego shopping center Wednesday evening, killing one of the two women aboard and wounding the other.

The fixed wing single-engine Mooney M20L crashed in a parking lot between Target and the Costco Business Center off Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa, about a mile from Montgomery Field, around 5:30 p.m. It landed near parked cars but away from main store entrances.

The 52-year-old pilot and her 80-year-old passenger were taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital with major injuries, according to fire officials. The 80-year-old woman suffered serious burns and died at the hospital. The condition of the pilot has not been released.

Two witnesses who may have been trying to rescue the victims were treated for minor burns, fire officials said. One was taken to the hospital, and the other was treated at the scene. The plane did not hit any people in the parking lot when it crashed.

Witness Gregg Smith was leaving work across the street and was only one block away when he saw and heard the aircraft crash.

“I heard the plane coming – it was a different sound – and I knew they didn’t have enough power to make the lift they needed to do,” Smith told NBC 7.

At that point, Smith said he looked up and saw the plane making a turn. “It missed my building probably by about 10 or 15 feet,” he added.

“I heard the distinctive thud of it hitting one of the light poles in the parking lot, and I heard it crash. The next thing I saw was a bunch of flames and black smoke,” Smith continued.

Helicopter pilot Vince Carter was taking off from Montgomery Field at the time of the crash. Carter told NBC 7 he heard the pilot’s distress call and heard her say her power was going out seconds before the crash.

“This is a miracle and testament to her skill as a pilot. I really hope she comes through everything okay. This could have very easily killed a lot of people,” he said. “You could imagine, just shopping at Target, and a plane comes through the roof full of fuel.”

Carter said the area where the aircraft landed is really the only place where the pilot could have gone without causing a lot of damage.

“When we’re flying, we need air going over the wings at a specific speed to generate lift. Once you lose enough air speed, there’s not enough wind going over the wings to generate lift and you don’t fly any more. As you can see, the plane is in a relatively flat position. It didn’t travel extremely far when it hit the ground, so you can assume that it didn’t have a lot of forward momentum going into this,” he said.

“So what probably happened is that in a loss of power and finding a place to put it down, she stalled it out pretty much perfectly in the only spot she possibly could have,” he continued.

"I don’t know what kind of control they had, but they obviously had enough control to bring it down into an area where they were not going to crash into vehicles or buildings,” San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Lee Swanson said.

A small fire sparked upon impact, but firefighters extinguished it quickly, Swanson said.

Witnesses said several heroic bystanders rushed to the aid of the pilot and her passenger right after the crash, pulling the women from the wreckage.

A Costco employee who witnessed the crash told NBC 7 that the person taken to the hospital with minor burns to his hand is another Costco employee.

The Target store was not evacuated and remained open Wednesday evening. A Target employee said fire crews were assessing the building for damage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is on scene investigating the cause of the crash. The FAA said the aircraft bounced while attempting to land at nearby Montgomery Field but continued westbound and crashed in the Costco parking lot.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation and likely post a preliminary report of the accident within the next week or two. Still, officials said it typically takes the NTSB months to come up with a probable cause for accidents.

Per protocol, neither agency will release the identities of those involved in the aircraft accident.

San Diego Police Department Sgt. Steve Behrendt said the airplane struck a portion of the Target building before landing.

“It did hit the top of the Target building. There is some debris on the roof of the Target and some in the garden area. Then one of the light poles was taken out by the plane,” Behrendt explains.

NBC 7 spoke with a family member of the pilot at UCSD Medical Center Wednesday night who said the survivor of the crash was in stable condition.

According to FAA records, the aircraft is co-owned but registered to San Diego resident William Logan. The family member confirmed William Logan was not aboard the aircraft.

The Montgomery Field radio tower received a distress call from the aircraft right before the crash. The transciption of the call indicates the pilot knew she was in trouble.

“Problem now. I’m not getting any altitude her,” the pilot says.

“27 mike-pappa, full throttle,” the tower answers.

“I’m full throttle,” the pilot replies.

“27 mike-pappa, turn back to the field if you’re able,” the tower says.

“I’m going down,” responds the pilot.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

An interim superintendent will take over in New London starting Aug. 1 while school officials debate the status of the newly selected candidate whose background and qualifications have come into question.

Terrence Carter was chosen to lead New London Public Schools following a nationwide search, but the state Department of Education has recently asked Carter to withdraw.

"We have asked Terrence Carter to withdraw from consideration as New London's next superintendent and believe such a course of action to be in the best interest of the New London community," said spokesperson Kelly Donnelly, in a statement. "The department has also put a hold on the processing of his superintendent credentials pending the results of the local Board of Education's independent investigation."

The New London Board of Education initially planned to sign off on Carter's contract last week. School officials postponed the meeting so board members could "discuss in executive session any concerns and the accusations against Mr. Carter," according to district spokesperson Julianna Hanckel.

The board said it would not make a decision on Carter's status with the school system until after the investigation is complete.

Recent reports indicate that Carter has referred to himself as being a doctor for years, even though he’s not scheduled to receive his Ph.D. until next month.

Last week, Hanckel said board members would be holding an executive session to question Carter about his educational background by conference call.

The Shipman & Goodwin law firm is investigating on behalf of the board. The investigation should be complete in about three weeks, at which point the interim superintendent will be announced.

Carter has declined to comment on the investigation.

A water main break Tuesday in Los Angeles' Westwood area sent millions of gallons of water gushing onto the campus of UCLA, flooding parking structures, the famed Pauley Pavilion and other buildings.

These photos reveal the extent of the damage with images taken before and after the affected areas. UCLA officials have yet to establish a damage estimate, but several campus buildings and parking structures were flooded after two water mains burst at their meeting point near the campus.

The break sent an estimated 10 million gallons of water onto Sunset Boulevard and the UCLA campus.

These photos show Sunset Boulevard before and after the water main break. The break shattered pavement and created a large sinkhole from which a geyser of water sprayed for hours. The before photo is from Google Earth, and the after photo is from KNBC-TV's NewsChopper4:

These photos show UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, which suffered severe flooding as a result of the water main break. The court, home to the UCLA Bruins, showed signs of buckling and expansion after it was under about eight inches of water, campus officials said. The before photo was provided by UCLA; the after photo was shot by the Associated Press:

These photos show the plaza outside the Acosta Center, which was flooded after the water main break. The before photo is from Google Earth; the after photo is from Gadi Schwartz.

State leaders came together today to announce a new law that requires schools to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse education to children as early as kindergarten.

Gov. Dannel Malloy signed off on “Erin’s Law” last month and announced the legislation Wednesday along with Lt .Gov. Nancy Wyman, state and local leaders and representatives from Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services.

It comes just months after sexual assault survivor and activist Erin Merryn, for whom the law is named, visited Hartford, urging lawmakers to take action.

The law requires public schools to develop programs that will teach kids about sexual assault and how to protect themselves. Schools have until Oct. 1, 2015 to implement them, according to a release from Wyman's office.

"It is a shame that we have to teach these skills to our children, but I recognize that oftentimes the abuser is known by the child and the child is not sure what to do," State Rep. Diana Urban said in a statement Wednesday.

During her trip to Connecticut in March, Merryn explained the “swimsuit lesson,” which urges kids to confide in parents or trusted adults if anyone touches them in the places their bathing suits cover.

“Honestly, I think the only ones that should be against this bill are the sex offenders themselves,” she said while campaigning for the law in Hartford.

The bill made it through the State Senate last year but was halted in the House. Now, Connecticut is taking action.

“Erin’s Law prioritizes efforts to give students the language and resources they need to respond to a threat or get help if they are victimized. This is important information that can help keep young people safe,” Wyman said in a statement Wednesday.

Connecticut is the 18th state to pass Erin’s Law.

The body of a fisherman lost at sea earlier this summer has been found just north of Fishers Island, according to the victim’s son.

Daniel Strelczuk, 62, of Thompson, went missing on the Thames River in May while sailing alongside the Charles W. Morgan. Strelczuk’s boat turned up several hours later with its motor still running, but Strelczuk was nowhere to be found.

The Coast Guard searched Long Island Sound for 19 hours after Strelczuk’s disappearance was reported, but called off the search as darkness fell and the waves became rough.

Strelczuk’s son, Adam, said his father’s body was discovered Saturday, bringing closure to his grieving family.

State police are still examining Daniel Strelczuk’s dental records to confirm the body’s identity, but Adam Strelczuk said his father was found wearing the same clothing as the day he went missing, and that the body’s height, weight and physical description – including scars and birthmarks – matched up.