A 49-year-old Glastonbury man has been arrested, accused of threatening his girlfriend with a circular saw and smashing the windows on her car with a wood splitting maul.

Police said they responded to Scott Ferguson’s Naubuc Avenue residence just after 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving a report that a man was becoming violent with a female.

Ferguson, 49, was charged with first-degree criminal attempt at assault, second-degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, second-degree threatening and reckless endangerment.

His bond was set at $100,000.

 

Europe's horse meat food labeling scandal continues to hit major food companies, while regulators in the U.S. are weighing whether to allow horses to be slaughtered stateside for human consumption. 

American consumers, meanwhile, are growing concerned that horse meat could eventually end up in their food supply.

After European inspectors found traces of horse meat in IKEA’s frozen Swedish meatballs last week, four new products in England, including Taco Bell's Ground Beef, have tested positive for equine DNA, BBC News reported.

Taco Bell apologized to customers, saying the products had come from a supplier in Europe and all of its tainted stock has been removed.

"Once we learned of this issue, we immediately voluntarily tested our product for our three Taco Bell restaurants in the UK,” a Taco Bell spokesman said. "Based on that testing, we learned ingredients supplied to us from one supplier in Europe tested positive for horse meat.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency said that as part of the latest round of tests, three other products — Birds Eye's Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese and Beef Lasagne and catering supplier Brakes' Spicy Beef Skewer — have also been found to contain horse meat, BBC News reported.

Initially, horse meat was detected in January in frozen burgers on sale in England and in Ireland, and since then traces have been discovered in many processed beef products and prepared meals throughout Europe.

The latest developments on Europe's horse meat scandal come amid reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is likely to approve a horse slaughtering house in Roswell, N.M., within the next two months, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Horse meat isn't allowed to be produced in the U.S. for human consumption, but the USDA’s decision would allow it to occur for the first time since 2007, according to the Times.

Congress decided not to extend a ban on USDA horse meat inspections back in November 2011. Roswell-based Valley Meat Company sued the USDA over what it said was the lack of inspection for horses going to slaughter, according to the Times.

Currently, horses destined for slaughter have been shipped to Mexico and Canada instead, the Times reported.

A spokesman for the agriculture department, Justin DeJong, told the Times that "several" companies had asked the agency to re-establish inspection of horses for slaughter. "These companies must still complete necessary technical requirements and the F.S.I.S. must complete its inspector training service," he said.

Such a decision to bring back horse meat production in the U.S. may not be too popular with American consumers who feel a deep aversion to eating horse meat.

According to Food Museum co-founder Meredith Sayles, Americans see horses as something more than just animals.

“In the U.S. and U.K. horses are almost considered pets,” Sayles said. “And we don’t eat our pets.”

In fact, attempts by chefs to serve horse-based dishes have prompted passionate and even violent responses.

A restaurant owner in Philadelphia was threatened last week after announcing his plan to add horse meat to the menu.

“They called into the restaurant and said, ‘You guys start cooking horses, I am going to blow up your restaurant,’” Peter McAndrews told NBC10.com.

Although horse meat is not necessarily unsafe for human consumption, opponents of horse slaughtering say that its consumption is risky because of the use of various kinds of drugs in horses.

The Humane Society of the United States has filed a petition with the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration to delay approval of any facility that would slaughter horses, citing concerns over drugs like phenylbutazone, used to treat inflammation in horses, the Times reported.

Passport Day in the USA will not happen on Saturday, March 9.

It is canceled because of the sequestration and the Connecticut Passport Agency will not be open to the public. 

However, many facilities not associated with the Department of State will participate. 

The list is posted on the the U.S. State Department Web site.

This was the day when residents can apply for passports without making an appointment for routine or expedited service. 

@TravelGov was ill host a live twitter Q&A on Monday, March 4 at 10 a.m. and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services, Brenda Sprague will answer questions about passports for one hour.

Tweet your questions to @TravelGov using #AskState,

Everyone is invited to join the conversation throughout the week by using the hashtag, #PPTDay.

You can also visit Facebook.com/TravelGov beginning March 4 for daily passport tips and referrals to other online resources.
 

Forget the sequester, the hottest topic in Washington is just how well does President Obama know his Star Wars mythology.

During an impromptu press conference on Friday to address the sequester deadline, President Obama was asked why he was powerless to prevent the deep spending cuts from going into effect.

Obama responded by saying he can't "do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what's right."

The Twitterverse wasted no time in calling out the Commander-in-Chief for his apparent gaffe confusing "Star Wars" and "Star Trek."

Jedi mind TRICK, not meld. Impeach this clown.

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) March 1, 2013

Jedi mind meld? Nevermind the GOP, now he'll have the wrath of pedantic Trekkies to confront.

— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) March 1, 2013

Obama lost the Star Wars vote with that "Jedi Mind meld" gaffe.

— The Fix (@TheFix) March 1, 2013

Jedis, of course, are famed for their "mind tricks," as when Obi-Wan Kenobi convinced a pair of storm troopers that R2 and C3P-O were not the droids they were looking for. A "mind meld" is a part of the "Star Trek" legend, a method by which Vulcans can communicate with others.

But as the derisive tweets poured in, Garance Franke-Ruta of The Atlantic came to Obama's defense.

Not a mixed reference: There is a Jedi Mind Meld, apparently: starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_meld

— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) March 1, 2013

As it turns out, the "Jedi Meld," as defined by the "Star Wars" wiki, is "a technique where a number of Force users joined their minds together through the Force, drawing strength from each other."

Does Obama really know "Star Wars" this well, or was it a massive error that will cost Dems the nerd vote in the 2014 midterm elections?

Gov. Dannel Malloy’s Sandy Hook Advisory Commission is meeting in Hartford on Friday and the members for the first time will be focusing on guns.

Malloy formed the 16-member commission to recommend state policy changes in the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 students and six educators were killed.

The meeting started at 9:30 a.m., where state police and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association are delivering a presentation on guns, discussing state law, the process of conducting background checks and deciding on gun permit applications.

One expert on Friday spoke about how Connecticut gun laws, which are considered to be among the strictest in the country, compare to other states.

The commission has been meeting since late January and will be recommending changes to state laws that deal with mental health and guns.

The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission is set to meet next on Friday, March 8.
 

Former Chicago Bulls basketball legend Michael Jordan faces a paternity suit from a woman who claims her 16-year-old son is his.

Chicago TV station NBC 5 has confirmed that the lawsuit was filed in Fulton County, Ga. by Pamela Smith, who claims she became pregnant after an affair with Jordan in 1995. Niether Smith nore representatives of Micheal Jordan would comment on the suit. 

VIEW LAWSUIT

The boy, Grant Pierce Jay Jordan Reynolds, also claims in a YouTube video posted in December that he is Jordan's son. He says he's met Jordan before and wants him to be in his life more.

Smith seeks to retain full custody in the lawsuit, and is pursuing child support, medical expenses and the right to have the boy's legal last name changed to Jordan.

Jordan was married to his wife, Juanita, at the time of the alleged tryst.

Westport police have arrested a 21-year-old man accused of pointing a semi-automatic weapon at another man during a road-rage incident that happened in evening rush-hour traffic on Thursday.

Tyler Keiser, 21, is accused of cutting off the victim just after 5 p.m., police said.

The victim flashed his high beams at Keiser when this happened and Keiser got out of his car on Post Road East, near the Bulkley Avenue intersection, and pointed a handgun at the other driver, police said.

The victim called 911 and gave police the license plate of the vehicle, which was registered in Trumbull, police said.

Police gave a description of the car and driver, and the direction he was driving in, to Fairfield Police, who found Keiser on Pemburn Drive in their town and waited for Westport officers to arrive and investigate.

Police said Keiser had a black Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his waistband when they found him. 

Keiser was charged with second-degree threatening, second-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree breach of peace.

He was released on a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in the Norwalk Court on March 8.

Police seized the gun, which Keiser has a permit to carry.
 

The man known as the East Coast Rapist has been sentenced to three terms of life in prison plus 80 years.

Aaron Thomas of New Haven pleaded guilty in November to two counts of rape and three counts of abduction for a Halloween 2009 attack on three teenage trick-or-treaters in Prince William County, Virginia. Thomas forced the trick-or-treaters -- two of whom are now in college -- into the woods and raped two of them over the course of about an hour. He had a cigarette lighter that was a replica of a gun, Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert told News4 in Washington D.C. One of the victims was able to text her mother, who called police. Thomas fled when he heard sirens, Ebert said.

At sentencing Friday, Thomas gave a statement referring himself as "totally blameworthy." He said he knew what he did to the women, News4's Erika Gonzalez reported.

Two of his victims testified that they forgave Thomas and prayed he would be cured of his sickness, Gonzalez reported. But the mother of another victim said her daughter hasn't been the same since the attack.

Thomas also pleaded guilty in November to rape and abduction charges in Loudoun County for a rape in 2001 at a Leesburg apartment complex. He faces multiple life sentences that case as well.

Thomas's behavior and mental status was an issue in court, if not an issue raised formally in the trial.

Ebert called Thomas's behavior "erratic from the start." In custody, Thomas has repeatedly cut his wrists and smeared his blood on the walls of his cell. He has claimed he had an alternate personality -- Erwin.

However, the prosecution's mental health expert had found Thomas was either "feigning or greatly exaggerating" symptoms. His attorneys had notified the court that sanity would not be raised as an issue.

Thomas has been tied to 17 attacks over longer than a decade from the D.C. area to Connecticut, including attacks in Fairfax and Prince George's counties.

The tip that led to his arrest came from Prince George's County.

In a story published in The Washington Post, Thomas acknowledged that he was the East Coast Rapist, saying, "I don't think I'm crazy but something is wrong with me."

Hundreds of  people gathered at a vigil in North Stonington Friday night for two young boys who were killed by their grandmother Tuesday.

Debra Denison, picked up her grandsons, Alton, 2, and 6-month-old Ashton Perry, at daycare Tuesday, drove to a remote location in Preston and shot both of the boys to death before killing herself. Authorities said Denison left a suicide note before leaving her house to pick up the boys. According to the state medical examiner, both children were shot multiple times.

"To lose two young children like this is just horrendous," said North Stonington First Selectman Nick Mullane.

According to family members, Denison suffered from mental health issues, including a form of split personalities and depression.

"I think we need to show support for the family, just to be together," Mullane said.

The town organized the vigil at the North Stonington Recreation Facility at 32 Rocky Hollow Road in North Stonington. The vigil started at 7 p.m.

The former chief of of the Coventry Volunteer Fire Department admitted to having a sexual relationship with a teenage junior firefighter and impregnating the girl, according to an arrest affidavit.

Joseph Carilli, 53, was arrested last month and charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

According to the arrest affidavit, the teen told police she and Carilli had been having sex since she was 15. Carilli was the fire chief at the time the relationship began. The girl said she learned she was pregnant in November 2011 and had an abortion. She told investigators Carilli paid off part of the medical bills for the abortion but stopped making payments. There is still an outstanding balance on the medical bill, the girl said.

Carilli was brought in for questioning on Feb. 8, and admitted to the sexual relationship, according to the arrest affidavit. He told investigators the girl forced him to have sex and threatened to blackmail him if he didn't comply, the affidavit revealed.

A second arrest affidavit unsealed Friday details sex assault allegations against a fire lieutenant with the Coventry Volunteer Fire Department. Joe Fragoso, 35, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old member of the Coventry junior firefighter program. Fragoso was arrested last month along with Carilli.

According to the affidavit, the teen told police she and Fragoso began the relationship in August 2012. She said they only had intercourse once, but that Fragoso had performed oral sex on her several times, the affidavit stated. The teen told investigators she and Fragoso had exchanged more than 200 naked pictures and videos on their cell phones.

Police interviewed Fragoso, who admitted to the sexual relationship, but denied having intercourse with the girl, according to the affidavit. He told police he suffers from erectile dysfunction and only performed sex acts on the 16 year old.

Both men have resigned from the fire department. The current chief has suspended the junior firefighter program in Coventry.

There is a growing ripple effect from the foreclosure underway for banquet hall La Renaissance in East Windsor. 

Several school districts may be left in the lurch after putting down hundreds of dollars in deposits for some of their most important events, NBC Connecticut has learned.

"For our kids it means graduation will be at another site,” said East Windsor High School principal Ted Keleher.

Keleher said school officials felt they had no choice but to rebook graduation somewhere else.

Organizers of Enfield High School's junior prom are still scrambling to reschedule the event at another venue.

"I think it's a shame because the kids enjoyed having graduation at that facility,” said Keleher.

We spoke with numerous people who said they’re at a loss after planning events that now look like they won’t happen.  All said they can’t get any answers from the owners.  But after a report on NBC Connecticut Wednesday, other facilities are stepping in ready to help.

"Our packages are a little different than La Renaissance so we're going to work our best to reduce our package price to fit them in,” said Phillip Chabot of Farmington Gardens.

Chabot said after seeing the story, they are already working to make time and space for brides affected by the closure of La Renaissance.

"We wanted to help out as best we could,” said Chabot.

Aria Wedding and Banquet Facility in Prospect said it wants to help anyone affect by La Renaissance's foreclosure problems too.  They are among a handful of halls hoping to lend a hand.

"It means the world to me. I really appreciate it,” said bride-to-be Maria Pappa.

NBC Connecticut first told you Maria’s story Wednesday night.  She said La Renaissance accepted her deposits without telling her they were in foreclosure.  After putting down $4,000, she is now frantic to find a new venue for her July wedding reception. Maria said she is touched by the outpouring of support.

“I thank Channel 30 for taking my story and letting everyone know what's going on,” said Maria.

The Attorney General's Office says it continues to look into the issue.  After our story first aired, the office fielded a dozen more complaints from La Renaissance clients. 

The owners of La Renaissance referred us to their attorney, who still has not returned any of our calls.

The man known as the East Coast Rapist was sentenced Friday to three terms of life in prison plus 80 years.

Aaron Thomas of Connecticut pleaded guilty in November to two counts of rape and three counts of abduction for a Halloween 2009 attack on three teenage trick-or-treaters in Prince William County. Thomas forced the trick-or-treaters -- two of whom are now in college -- into the woods and raped two of them over the course of about an hour. He had a cigarette lighter that was a replica of a gun, Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert told News4. One of the victims was able to text her mother, who called police. Thomas fled when he heard sirens, Ebert said.

At sentencing Friday, Thomas gave a statement referring to himself as "totally blameworthy," News4's Erika Gonzalez reported. He also described what he called an "uncivilized" childhood.

Doctors testified that Thomas is not insane nor incompetent but suffers from a sexual deviance disorder, Gonzalez reported. They said he told them he knew what he did was wrong and did not want the charges dismissed but hoped he would get out of prison in time to take his son to a ballgame.

Two of his victims testified that they forgave Thomas and prayed he would be cured of his sickness, Gonzalez reported. But the mother of another victim said her daughter hasn't been the same since the attack.

Thomas also pleaded guilty in November to rape and abduction charges in Loudoun County for a rape in 2001 at a Leesburg apartment complex. He faces multiple life sentences that case as well.

Thomas's behavior and mental status was an issue in court, if not an issue raised formally in the trial.

Ebert called Thomas's behavior "erratic from the start." In custody, Thomas has repeatedly cut his wrists and smeared his blood on the walls of his cell. He has claimed he had an alternate personality -- Erwin.

However, the prosecution's mental health expert had found Thomas was either "feigning or greatly exaggerating" symptoms. His attorneys had notified the court that sanity would not be raised as an issue.

Police used DNA evidence to link Thomas to 17 attacks dating to 1997 from the D.C. area to Connecticut, including attacks in Fairfax and Prince George's counties.

The tip that led to his arrest came from Prince George's County.

In a story published in The Washington Post, Thomas acknowledged that he was the East Coast Rapist, saying, "I don't think I'm crazy but something is wrong with me."

A California beauty queen has claimed she was a potential victim of a man charged with raping a woman he met on a Christian dating website.

Sean Banks, 37, of Del Mar, is accused of raping a woman he met through ChristianMingle.com in November.

And now, a contestant in the Miss California 2012 pageant claims Banks threatened her while out on bail.

"He was aware that I had evidence and he started intimidating me from that point not to talk to police," Victoria Kinney said.

Banks faces a number of charges including rape by force, digital penetration by force and residential burglary in connection with an alleged attack in La Mesa more than three months ago.

In that case, a La Mesa woman told police Banks arrived at her home on Nov. 12, was sexually aggressive toward her and ultimately raped her. Banks was arrested by La Mesa police on Feb. 11.

"This woman is alleging that he pushed the boundaries and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her against her will. We think when you see all the facts that will prove not to be the case," said defense attorney Gretchen von Helms.

Banks, a graduate student of Pepperdine University and a former Lt. JG in the U.S. Navy, appeared in an El Cajon courtroom Friday to face two additional criminal charges.

One of the charges involves a date rape allegation from 2009 and the second charge involved dissuading a witness, or threatening a witness not to talk with police.

Kinney, Miss Irvine-Orangewood in the 2012 Miss California pageant, said she met Banks through the ChristianMingle website.

Banks used an alias in their communication, said Kinney's attorney, Daniel Gilleon.

Investigators said Banks has been known to use several aliases online including Rarity, Rylan, Rylan Butterwood and Rylan Harbough.

The beauty queen said Banks was very charming at first but then he made comments that she took as threats.

"I didn’t listen to my instincts," she said. "In those instances and looking back, I absolutely should have."

"We discussed meeting for lunch when I returned and when I returned, he called me to let me know he had been arrested for rape," she added.

Gilleon said his client was terrified, but wanted to testify about her experience to support other possible victims.

"She’s a Christian woman. She believes it’s her duty at this point to come forward, share her story generally and ask other women to come forward," Gilleon said.

He said the comments made by Banks to Kinney were "clearly threats."

As a result, Judge Charles Ervin approved on Friday a protective order banning Banks from having contact or getting within 100 yards of Kinney.

Banks was taken into custody on a "no bail request" on the new charges even though he had posted $500,000 bail on his previous charges.

Judge Ervin called it a unique request and told defense attorneys he had never seen the situation in 25 to 30 years.

Von Helms said she and her co-counsel Jan Ronis had no time to review the additional charges and asked for a bail review early next week.

"Anyone would feel terrible about these types of allegations and he certainly does," Von Helms said of Banks.

"This young man -- he’s a Ph.D. candidate. He’s a college graduate. He served in the military. There are a lot of good factors about him that will come to light as we proceed in this case," she said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 26.

A door-to-door salesman selling home fire alarms noticed smoke coming from a Garland home, heard a woman screaming and broke a window to rescue her.

Kaeriel Evans, 18, who has Down syndrome, was inside by herself when the blaze started in the 1600 block of Homestead Place at about 6 p.m.

"I heard this lady yelling, 'Help, help,'" said Corey Anderson, of Rowlett. "I looked down and saw the smoke so I took off running, and -- reaction -- I just started kicking in the windows."

He tried to find her but couldn't at first.

"As far as I went in, I couldn't see nothing," Anderson said. "It was just smoke."

Then, he heard her voice again.

"I heard somebody say, 'Help me, help me,' so I pushed over an entertainment center and kind of went in there and saw the girl and I told her, 'Drop down and come to me.' And she did. And I got her out."

Anderson sells home security systems that include fire alarms, he said. He hadn't yet made it to her house when he saw the smoke and flames.

Evans was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital with smoke inhalation and minor burns but was expected to recover.

Soon, Evans' brother arrived home.

"When I saw the house burned up, that's the first thing I asked about -- where is my sister?" Kavaucey Lewis said.

Lewis, 20, said he lives in the house with five siblings and their mother.

He quickly learned about her rescue and thanked Anderson.

"I just told him how much I appreciate it because my sister is my heart," he said.

Anderson was humble about what he had done.

"I'm glad I was here and could help," he said. "I really do wish if that was my family, somebody would do the same thing."

Evans said he couldn't thank Anderson enough.

"He went in there and, you know, he's a hero," Evans said. "He went above and beyond."

Anderson said the word "hero" doesn't fit.

"I don't feel like a hero," he said. "I just feel like, I mean, it was reaction. At the time, I just went with my instincts."

Firefighters are investigating how the fire started.

The sign said "open" but the doors were locked Friday at the north side cleaners lottery winner Urooj Khan owned and his wife, Shabana Ansari continues to operate.

An employee said she was not there, even though her car was parked outside.

Her attorney, Al-Haroon Husain, said he saw nothing in the medical examiner's report which implicated Ansari in her husband's cyanide-induced death.

“We don’t believe this report today shows anything we didn’t already know,” he said. “There is no evidence, we don’t believe there is going to be any evidence pointing to Ms. Ansari.”

The autopsy performed on Khan's body in January confirmed what authorities suspected: that Khan died of cyanide poisoning. How he ingested it, however, remains a mystery.

• Widow Questioned About Cyanide Victim's Last Meal

Husain insisted Ansari wants to know who or what killed her husband more than anyone else.

"This was her husband," said Husain. "She really wants to know what caused his death."

The lottery victim’s sister said she never had high hopes the autopsy would yield new clues.

“It would have been hard to detect, because it’s such a long time,” Meraj Khan said. “I was not surprised, but I was hoping that something would have come out with these test results.”

• Lottery Winner's Death Reveals Long-Lost Daughter

The family has stopped short of pointing fingers. But they have frequently noted that the victim’s wife Shabana Ansari and her father, were the only people with him (along with his 17 year old daughter) the night he died.

“It should not be where something that he would have carried around with him all day long, and functioned, and then had a dinner and have a chat with his daughter and wife, and then pass away,” Khan said. “It was something that would happen, maybe an hour or two at the most.”

• Documents Show Battle Over Poisoned Lottery Winner's Estate

Her husband, Mohammed Zaman has repeatedly said they are putting their faith in investigators, rather than making public accusations.

“We can’t really point at someone, but we can suspect,” he said. “He was a homicide victim. He did not die of natural causes.”
 

 A state legislative panel will be holding a public hearing on two bills that would impose new mandates on property owners to take care of their trees.
       The Judiciary Committee has scheduled the hearing on the bills and other proposals for 10 a.m. Monday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
       One bill would require landowners to visually inspect their properties and remove trees and limbs that appear to be unhealthy or in a potentially dangerous condition. The proposal would also establish that a property owner has knowledge of a tree's defect upon receiving or refusing to receive a certified letter notifying the owner of the problem.
       The other bill would make property owners responsible for the cost of removing trees and limbs that fall on neighboring properties.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is gathering with University of Connecticut students this week to rally support for his proposals to strengthen the sciences and boost enrollment at the state's flagship university.
       Malloy's proposal calls for $1.5 billion to build new labs and refurbish others, upgrade information technology and renovate and build housing and parking. The effort is expected to attract millions of dollars in research grants and intended to boost high-wage jobs in science and technology.
       Malloy is attending the event Monday in Hartford with UConn students, state legislators and other supporters.
       Some in the General Assembly have expressed concerns over the cost of the initiative and whether the borrowing would reduce money available for other needs.