Waterbury police are investigating the death of acting deputy chief Christopher Corbett.

State Police Major Crimes are also investigating and are at the scene on Coniston Avenue in Waterbury.

"The Waterbury Police Department has experienced a tremendous loss. We are in shock. The pain and grief that we are experiencing is indescribable. Deputy Chief Chris Corbett was a consummate professional and he will be dearly missed," Chief Vernon L. Riddick, Jr. said in a statement.

Corbett, a Waterbury native, joined the police department in 1997, serving first as a patrol officer. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and was assigned as the second-in-charge of the criminal investigation bureau and to serve as the department’s public information officer.

He continued to serve in both of those positions when he was promoted to lieutenant in 2006, then to captain in 2010, according to his online biography.

Corbett was a graduate of Holy Cross High School and obtained a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

He was also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia and served on the Holy Cross High School Board of Directors, the Waterbury Retirement Board and as the treasurer on the Police Activities League Board of Directors.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the Corbett family at this incredibly difficult time. Deputy Chief Corbett was committed to his family and to the City of Waterbury, working hard every single day to keep families safe. I am heartbroken by his passing,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in a statement.

State police called Corbett's death "untimely." No additional information was immediately available.

Arson investigators are looking into a suspicious fire at a New Haven church on Tuesday night.

Police and firefighters responded to Christ Church, at 84 Broadway, at 5 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report that someone had set fire to the altar.

When firefighters extinguished the flames, they found minimal damage but determined that it was deliberately set.

Police also said a “very heavy” crucifix had been removed from the top of the tabernacle and placed on the altar. Around it, lit candles were arranged, which caused the damage as fire spread across the altar.

Church officials told police the crucifix was rarely moved, only at specific times and for specific reasons, and no one there had moved it.

Detectives found what they called “possible symbols” drawn in the sand at the base of a large prayer candle rack, but have not identified any witnesses to what happened.

The New Haven Police Department is asking anyone with information about the crime to call Detective Sergeant Elisa Tuozzoli at 203-946-6137.

Police are also asking church officials to be watchful.
 

New Haven police have arrested a suspected of shooting five people at a private party in May.

Fayzon “Suki” Reboyras, 22, of New Haven, was taken into custody on Wednesday night after detectives saw him getting into a car, police said.

He has been charged with five counts of assault in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, carrying a pistol without a permit and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

The shooting was reported just before 2 a.m. on May 31, sending police to a private space on the second floor over Evolution Tattoo Parlor, at 849 Chapel Street. 

Three of the victims at the scene were transported by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital and two others were taken to the hospital in a private car. 

Jamie Rodriguez, 21, was the most badly injured. He was shot in the lower back, knee, groin and thigh and was listed in critical condition. Police said he was released from the hospital on Wednesday, weeks earlier than expected.

Joshua Agosto, 25, was shot in the chest and buttocks, Gerald Pugh, 28, was shot twice in his leg and also in his right buttocks and thigh and Jovanni Leon Vargas, 23, was shot twice in one arm, once in the other and a bullet grazed his abdomen.

A gunshot grazed 30-year-old Hector Martinez's upper back. All have been released from the hospital, police said.

The event the shooting happened at was a themed "white party," where the guests wore white clothes.

Two groups were seen arguing earlier in the party and again toward the end, but private security guards separated them twice before the shooting, the initial reports indicate, according to police. Security brought the smaller group outside and kept the larger one inside so the dispute wouldn't "spill out into the street," police said. 

Moments later, witnesses told police, a man re-entered the second floor space and opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun, emptying the weapon of all its bullets.

West Haven police are investigating a carjacking on Thursday morning.

Police said the carjacking happened at 11:20 a.m., at 750 First Avenue, at the Extra Fuel gas station.

Officers saw a man arrive at the gas station in a Chevy Impala that had been stolen out of Hartford, get out of the car, pushed a female victim and steal her vehicle as she was pumping fuel, police said.

Police are searching for a Maroon Kia CT with license plate 414-ZSK.

This carjacker is described as slim, around 25 years old and around 6-feet-4. He has short black hair and was wearing a black T-shirt.

He fled south on First Avenue and detectives are working the case.
 

A judge who donated money to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert several years ago will remain on the former speaker's hush-money case.

U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin said earlier this week that while he felt he could be impartial, he would recuse himself from presiding over Dennis Hastert's case unless prosecutors and Hastert's lawyers file a waiver. All parties agreed Thursday to allow Durkin to remain on the case.

"I have no doubt I can be impartial in this matter," Judge Thomas M. Durkin said Tuesday after Hastert entered not guilty pleas to federal charges he evaded banking laws and lied to the FBI.

The case was randomly assigned to Durkin, he said, adding that it would be randomly given to another judge if attorneys asked him to step aside.

Federal Election Commission records showed Durkin donated $500 to the "Hastert for Congress" campaign in 2002 and $1,000 in 2004.

Durkin was an attorney at the Mayer Brown law firm in Chicago at the time of the contributions. Hastert's son, Ethan Hastert, was an associate attorney at the firm at the same time. Durkin stressed he and the younger Hastert were not friends but did work on a few cases together.

"As far as I can recall I never met the defendant," Durkin said, adding that his contribution was made as a private citizen through a partner at the law firm.

President Barack Obama appointed Durkin a federal judge in 2012.

Durkin's brother, Jim Durkin, is Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the state's 82nd District. The judge said his brother and Hastert are not personal friends.

Hastert, a Republican, is accused of skirting banking laws while withdrawing $952,000 that investigators allege he gave to someone accusing him of wrongdoing. The indictment did not identify the recipient of the money or clarify the wrongdoing, but an NBC News source said the funds were handed over to conceal a sexual relationship Hastert had with a man while the man was a student at Yorkville High School, where Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach.

Whole Foods says it will name its new chain of smaller stores with lower prices after its "365 Everyday Value" house brand.

Co-CEO Walter Robb tells The Associated Press that the chain will be named "365 by Whole Foods Market," a nod to the brand already sold by the grocery chain.

He said that while 365 products will anchor the stores, the chain will also have other items, including national brands.

Since announcing plans for the chain in May, recent trademark filings by Whole Foods Markets Inc. had prompted a guessing game that the stores might bear names like Clever Egg, DailyShop, Greenlife, Small Batch or Swiftgoods.

"Those were all decoys," Robb said in an interview, before quickly adding that his claim could also be a decoy to divert people about other plans.

The new chain, which is slated to begin opening next year, comes as Whole Foods seeks to differentiate itself amid intensifying competition. The company, which has more than 400 Whole Foods stores, has seen its sales growth slow as organic and natural products have become more widely available at mainstream supermarket chains and big-box retailers.

The new chain may also be inspired by the success of companies such as Trader Joe's and Sprouts, which also focus on value and store-brand products, said Jon Springer, retail editor for the trade publication Supermarket News.

"They've identified millennial shoppers, younger shoppers who are very particular about what they eat, but also tough about what they can spend on food," he said.

Executives in the supermarket and retail industry are also trying to adapt to the changing ways people are shopping. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for instance, has been opening "Neighborhood Market" stores that are smaller than its supercenters aimed at shoppers who want to get in and out quickly.

A similar philosophy seems to be behind the plan by Whole Foods. In its initial announcement, Whole Foods had said that the new chain would be "geared toward millennials." But Robb said that while 365 is inspired by younger generations, it's intended to appeal to anyone who wants a quick, convenient way to shop.

Jeff Turnas, a Whole Foods veteran who was named president of the 365 chain, said he envisions people stopping in at 365 stores during the week when they want to get in and out of stores, with the regular Whole Foods stores being destinations for bigger shopping trips.

Turnas, who previously headed the U.K. business for Whole Foods, also noted that a small Whole Foods location in London has an open-kitchen feel in its prepared food section. Turnas said something similar might pop up in the 365 stores as well.

Whole Foods says it plans to open between five and 10 of the 365 stores around the country next year, and that it sees potential for the chain to eventually have as big a footprint as its namesake chain. The company, based in Austin, Texas, has provided few other concrete details about its plans for the chain.

In an earnings conference call in May, co-CEO John Mackey had described it as a "streamlined, hip, cool technology oriented store, unlike any store anybody has ever seen before."

When asked this week what 365 stores will look like, Robb remained similarly vague. He asked that people close their eyes and "stay with me on the words and flow" of his description. He then proceeded to ask people to envision a place "that's fresh, that's clean" with a smaller, more neighborhood feel, a "streamlined" selection and "technology woven in," although he declined to say what type of technology that might entail.

But despite the bigger focus on value, Robb stressed the products in the 365 stores will have the same quality standards as "the mothership."

"It's not going to be a dumbed-down thing," he said.
 

Underage drinking rates are dropping steadily, a new study reveals.

The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also showed a decline in underage binge drinking.

While alcohol remains more widely used than tobacco or illicit drugs, the report indicates that the level of underage drinking of those aged 12 to 20 dropped from 28.2 percent in 2002 to 22.7 percent in 2013. Binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks within a couple of hours of each other, has also declined from 19.3 percent in 2002 to 14.2 percent in 2013.

Both locally and nationally, community coalitions, law enforcement, and organizations like SAMHSA have focused on preventing underage drinking through media campaigns and even apps. SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You” mobile app, for example, prepares parents for conversations with children about the risks involved with alcohol consumption.

“When parents communicate clear expectations and they are supported by community efforts to prevent underage drinking, we can make a difference,” said Frances M. Harding, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, in a press release. 

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted in an interview with The Guardian that he fears financial ruin in the $100 million whistleblower case being brought against him by former U.S. Postal teammate Floyd Landis. The 43-year-old Texas native even went so far as to compare himself to a character very familiar to fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

“I’m that character in Harry Potter they can’t talk about,” he said. “Voldemort? It’s as if you can’t mention him. I’m the one everybody wants to pretend never lived. But that will not be the case forever because it can’t be the case forever. That won’t work, people aren’t stupid. I mean, I tried to make it right with every one of those people… I can only do so much.”

In Rowling’s novels, main villain Lord Voldemort is so infamous that he is almost always referred to with epithets, including “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” Armstrong asserted that his treatment in recent years mirrored that of Harry Potter’s archenemy.

In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life for using performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong maintained his innocence until he confessed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.

Before the allegations surfaced, Armstrong was hailed for his perseverance after battling testicular cancer. In 1997, he founded the Livestrong Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps those afflicted with cancer. The foundation is perhaps best known for its trademark yellow bracelets, which supporters wear to raise awareness about cancer research.

A former Navy SEAL who crashed his dirt bike along a remote stretch of the Columbia River gorge in Oregon survived, in part, thanks to his iPhone charger.

Matt L’Hommedieu, 46, used the cord of his iPhone to make a splint for his fractured leg after flying 40 feet from his bike down into a ravine, NBC affiliate KGW reported. L’Hommedieu was in the wilderness area searching for the parachute of D.B Cooper, the infamous hijacker of an airliner in 1971. Cooper escaped the plane mid-air with $200,000 and has never been found.

L’Hommedieu suffered several broken bones, but managed to put his SEAL training to use. Along with the iPhone charger cord, he fashioned a splint with shoelaces and sticks. "Honestly, at that point I was in survival mode," he told KGW.

After 24 hours alone and immobilized, a couple on a hike spotted L’Hommedieu’s dirt bike which led them to the injured man. Rescuers eventually reached L’Hommedieu and airlifted him to a hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy will join about a dozen other governors as they travel to Paris for the Paris Air Show to be held over the weekend and early next week.

Connecticut has the second largest aerospace economy in the country, trailing only Washington, the home of Boeing. Malloy said now is the time to work on expanding the sector in the state after what he describes as years of overtures from companies.

“I’ve been asked a number of times by the industry here in Connecticut to participate in that event” Malloy said.

“We are the second most concentrated economy in aerospace and our absence has been noted in the past so I wanted to rectify that.”

Malloy’s trip will cost taxpayers $5,000 according to a spokesman. He will travel to Ireland to meet with airline officials there about expanding trans-atlantic service from Hartford to Dublin, and then he will go to Paris to meet with aerospace executives from various companies. He will complete his trip in Germany where he will discuss his efforts to change the criminal justice system in Connecticut.

On aerospace, the governor says Connecticut is a powerful player and that industry leaders pay attention.

Malloy said, “For military purposes as well as passenger, the best engines in the world, a supply chain that stretches 75,000 people strong in the state of Connecticut, that’s important to our business climate.”
 

A 75-year-old retired Superior Court judge was was freed on bail Thursday afternoon after an armed standoff in West Los Angeles overnight.

The siege in the 1900 block of Barrington Avenue began after officers responded to a call about shots being fired at 11:40 p.m. (2:40 a.m. ET) Wednesday, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said. When officers arrived, they looked through a window and saw a man alone on a couch loading two guns, police told The Associated Press.

The man inside the home did not respond to officers and pointed a gun at his own head. Officers then heard a gunshot inside the townhouse and called for SWAT backup, police said.

"They made several demands that he disarm himself and exit, however, he refused," said LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery. "During that communication process, while outside, officers heard two rounds being fired which they observed shater a glass door."

Officers did not return fire, Montgomery said.

The man, who was reported to have multiple weapons inside the home, surrendered at 1:45 a.m. (4:45 a.m. ET) Thursday. Police did not find anyone else inside the home.

A neighbor told NBC4 that screams could be heard early Thursday coming from the residence.

Authorities confirmed the man is a retired Superior Court judge, identified as James Bascue. Bascue was appointed to the court in 1990 after serving as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.

Colleagues described him as "innovative and creative." Robert Philibosian, who served as district attorney in the early 1980s, said his former chief deputy became "isolated" in recent years.

Bascue helped form the district attorney office's Hard Core Gang Unit, a prosecutorial gang supression program. He was outspoken about the state's three-strikes law -- increased penalties for people convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies -- and the caseload placed on local courts as opportunities for rehabilitation were abandoned.

Bascue was honored in 2002 by the Judicial Council of California with its Jurist of the Year award.

He stepped down in 2007 after turning 67.

Bascue was booked on assault with a deadly weapon and held on $100,000 bail Thursday morning, according to jail records. The records did not indicate a scheduled court date.

NBC4's Michael Larkin contributed to this report.

Dozens gathered Thursday night to raise funds to pay funeral expenses for two children who died last week.

Six-year-old Aleisha and 7-year-old Daaron Moore were found dead in their East Haven home last week. Their mother has been charged with their murders.

Tonight the community came together at the Stratford Hotel and Conference Center on Lordship Boulevard in Stratford in a show of support for the children’s father Michael Moore, and to help pay for the children’s funerals.

"My heart bled for him and I cried. I cried for him. I'd just like to show my support for him, let him know that the community, not only me but the community is here to support him in anything he may need," said Jennifer Lucky of Bridgeport.

The event is open to the public and runs through midnight Thursday. Admission is a donation of $5.
 

A video posted on Facebook by police in Pennsylvania shows a motorcycle rider who flipped over while driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

According to the Limerick Township Police Department, the rider suffered only minor injuries because he was wearing a helmet and fell on soft grass. The rider's helmet was outfitted with a GoPro camera, according to police, which captured the rider speeding by a car before flipping over. 

Emergency crews were called when witnesses of this incident on Lightcap Road called 911. An investigation by the police led to discovery of the video, which was then posted on the Limerick PD's Facebook page.

In a Facebook post, police urged motorists of all types to be cautious saying, "These drivers are out there, please be careful!"

The post stated that the video was an example of "why you should NOT drive 106 MPH on Lightcap Rd and not know it ends in a T intersection, all while wearing a GoPro camera!"

Police said the driver allowed the police access to the video.

Charges against the driver are pending, police said in the post. 

A suspected shoplifter fired a gun inside a Target store in Oceanside, California, on Thursday, sending frightened shoppers and employees scrambling to the ground for cover and running toward exits.

Shots rang out around 1:15 p.m. at a Target in the Camino Town and Country Shopping Center located at 2555 S. El Camino Real, in San Diego’s North County.

Witnesses told NBC 7 two suspected shoplifters -- a man and a woman -- were involved in the incident.

A suspect was confronted by store security on suspicion of shoplifting, according to one witness. At that point, one of the suspects pulled a gun out of a bag and fired the weapon once into the ground before firing a second shot in the direction of an employee.

Several witnesses said they heard the two shots, including shopper Matthew Johnson, who told NBC 7 he took cover near the cafeteria in the store when the first shot rang out.

“We just heard a gunshot. [We] turned around saw a man with a black shirt and black shorts with a black, long-nose revolver. We got down, hid behind the little wall at the cafeteria," Johnson explained. "[We] heard him fire a second shot, so we ran out the door.”

Witnesses said everyone in the store got on the ground as soon as the gunfire erupted. The suspects fled the scene, driving away from the store in a black BMW with dark windows.

Oceanside police have released surveillance images of the suspects a few hours after the incident.

Both police and fire crews were called to the scene. Employees and customers could be seen gathered outside the store as officials cleared the building and launched their investigation.

No one was struck by the bullets and no injuries were reported.

The store was filled with approximately 100 shoppers at the time of the shooting, plus about 40 employees. Witnesses described the suspects as a Hispanic man and woman in their 20s.

After the scene was clear, shoppers began to return, and among them was Melinda Humbert
and her family.

“We were definitely concerned and scared this afternoon, so we didn't want that to be our last feeling or thought,” witness Melinda Humbert

Humbert, her 8-year-old Ashleigh and 6-year-old Ella were just feet from the gunman when he opened fire. She decided to return to share a more positive experience with the kids.

“Sometimes unexpected and scary things happen, but how we chose to respond to them is what's gonna help us move forward,” Humbert said.

Johnson said he was surprised to hear shots while shopping, but just wanted to get out safe.

“Whenever you hear a gunshot, you get down. You don’t want to mess with the guy. Let him do his thing and get out safe,” he said.

Witness Matt Antel told NBC 7 he heard a "pop" sound and then realized someone had fired a gun inside the store.

“We were sitting in the café area – heard the first pop – turned around and saw a guy, about 5-foot-9 with a gun. I didn’t yell but we dropped down,” he recounted.

“I crawled around to the other side of a wall to see if he was still there or to see if anyone got hit. By that time it looked like he was gone and the Target employees were taking control of the situation,” Antel added.

Witness Terry Nunley also heard a "pop" noise, followed by a struggle.

"I heard a 'pop' and, naturally, I just kinda ducked to see what was going on. I looked in the door, saw somebody in a red shirt -- it looked like they were wrestling -- and then I heard another shot. And maybe 10 [or] 15 seconds after that, I saw a man and a woman running out of the store," Nunley said.

A 9-year-old girl who walked nearly 2,000 miles, most of it alone, from her native Honduras to the United States, pleaded Thursday with a hearing officer in Chicago to let her stay in the U.S.

Dina Mutate is among the estimated 68,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border last year. The girl traveled on foot, by bus, and at times by hitchhiking to join her mother and brother in Chicago and escape the gang-fueled violence in her native country.

Mutate is just beginning to learn English so a translator was on-hand when the girl spoke with reporters following her hearing at the Chicago U.S. Asylum Office, at 181 W. Madison St.

"She described the murder of her cousin that was murdered outside of her home, and when she exits the home and observes that the cousin is all shot up in his face. I think no child should have to answer or repeat such a traumatic, horrific experience," Julie Contreras said in translating some of the difficult experiences Mutate said she endured.

The 9-year-old was represented by attorney Christopher Helt, who expressed appreciation for the manner in which Mutate was able to share her life story during the three-and-a-half hour interview.

"To sit through that interview -- to see the courage of that child -- I don't know how this case couldn't end being a positive one," Helt said. 

The deportation proceedings against Mutate continue while the hearing officer considers her application for political asylum. That process could take as long as two months.

Walgreens issued a recall Thursday of powdered doughnuts due to a possible mold risk.

The Walgreen Co. of Deerfield said it has recalled Nice! Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts due to consumer complaints alleging that mold was observed on some products.

The Nice! Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts were distributed to Walgreens stores nationwide, and consumers in possesion of the product should return it to any Walgreens store for a full refund.

The product comes in 11.5 oz packages and is marked with WIC number 178206 and UPC number 4902264948. Both these numbers can be found near the product bar code, which is located next to the nutrition facts on the package.

Consumers with questions can contact Walgreens Co. at 1-800-925-4733.

Scientists have been watching it since 2013: an unnaturally warm patch of the Pacific Ocean, a thousand feet long and a thousand feet wide, and growing. They call it “the blob."

Noah Diffenbaugh, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, says it may be playing a key role in California’s extreme drought, by feeding off a ridge of high pressure that's preventing rain, or vice versa.

“This blob of warm temperature in the ocean, that's basically sitting under this ridge of high pressure in the atmosphere,” Diffenbaugh said. “So that's one hypothesis, that these two are sort of restoring each other.”

NOAA data show the so-called blob is inching closer to California. As air passes over the warm water on its way toward the state’s coastline, it brings more heat and less snow, contributing to drought conditions up and down the West Coast.

Fish, like barracuda, that have no business being in the area have been turning up.

And then there's the baby seals recently found on local beaches abandoned. Wildlife rescuers say mothers will leave their pups when they can't find enough food, another sign of warmer waters.

No swimming is allowed at Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield because of the presence of a blue-green algae, which can be harmful to people and dogs.

The algae, also known as cyanobacteria, was detected during water sampling and can emit toxins that can make swimmers and animals sick, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

People can experience irritation of the skin, nose eyes and respiratory tract. If the algae is ingested, it can lead to vomiting or diarrhea, and can even cause problems with the liver or nervous system if large amounts are ingested, according to DEEP officials.

Cyanobacteria occurs naturally in lakes and ponds across Connecticut, but warmer temperatures combined with high levels of phosphorus can cause the algae blooms to form in the water.

The DEEP will conduct further tests on the water to determine when it is safe to reopen the pond to swimming.

All other state park beaches will be open this weekend.

Police are investigating a shooting a Hartford early Friday morning.

A person was shot just before 1 a.m. on Newfield Avenue and arrived at a local hospital in a private car.

No information was available on the person’s condition.
 

Traffic will be a nightmare in the Hartford area on Friday night with tens of thousands of people expected at the Dave Matthews Band Concert.

Between 20,000 and 23,000 people are expected on Friday night at Xfinity Theater, which you might still refer to as the Meadows, if you’ve lived in Connecticut for awhile.

Crowds could arrive as early as 4 p.m. to tailgate for the 8 p.m. concert, creating a mess of the Friday evening commute.

Expect heavy congestion and plan accordingly.