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Police Find Car Connected to Home Invasion

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New Haven police located a car connected to a home invasion.

Officers found a gray Dodge Intrepid behind a building at 181 Henry Street on Wednesday morning.

The car was stolen during a home invasion on Osborn Street Tuesday afternoon.

Two masked intruders went into a residence on Osborn Street and tied up two adults who were inside, officials said.

"People know each other around here and look out for each other so it was very unusual and alarming to hear that that happened," said Chris Randall, a  neighbor of the  victims.

The intruders stole belongings, including car keys, and fled in the owner’s 2004 gray Dodge Intrepid, police said.

This is the second home invasion reported in New Haven this month.

On Monday, May 6, two men invaded a home on Huntington Street, held two women captive, tied them up and stole a car belonging to one resident, police said.  The home is just two miles from Tuesday's home invasion.

The victims in that home invasion were 71 and 58.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Prince Harry Arrives in Greenwich

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The Greenwich Polo Club is the last stop on Prince Harry's United States tour on Wednesday. He is in the state for the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, a match benefiting a charity the 28-year-old prince co-founded.

After a luncheon and the match, he will be heading back home to England.

Prince Harry arrived in Greenwich just before noon and took a tour of the polo grounds.

In advance of the royal visit, local shops decorated in British flare, including Atelier 360, which had an event on Tuesday in advance of the prince’s visit.
 
"The pictures that I've seen, he's definitely cute. That whole family is extremely good looking,"
Véronique Lee, co-owner of the shop, said.

Some locals hoping to get a glance at the young royal.

"It is royalty. We don't have royalty in the United States," Lynn Capstick-Dale, of Greenwich, said.

The polo match will raise money for Sentebale, a charity Prince Harry helped create that benefits impoverished children in Lesotho. Sentebale means "forget me not."

The prince will lead the Sentebale Land Rover team.

Nacho Figueras, the face of Ralph Lauren's Polo Fragrances, will captain the St. Regis team, which will also include owner of the Greenwich Polo Club, Peter Brant.

The polo match, which starts later today, is by invitation only.

 


 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Robbers Hit Radio Shack in Clinton

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Employees at a Radio Shack in Clinton were tied up and robbed Tuesday night.

It is the latest in a string of Radio Shack robberies in the area.

According to police, two masked people entered the store at 215 East Main Street around 8:30 p.m. and implied they had weapons. The robbers tied up store employees with duct tape, police said.

The pair made off with more than $300 in cash and an undetermined number of iPhones, according to police. They took off in a dark-colored PT Cruiser, police said.

Robbers have struck at Radio Shacks in Orange, Wallingford, East Haven, Hamden and Trumbull in recent weeks.

"Our detectives are working with area police and other agencies. We have reason to believe that, obviously, all these Radio Shack robberies are related," said Sgt. Jeremiah Dunn, of the Clinton Police Department.

During each robbery, two to three people wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts entered the stores and stole iPhones, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call your local police department.



Photo Credit: Clinton Police

Dramatic Video: Deer Crashes Through Bus

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A deer crashed through the front window of a Johnstown, Pennsylvania bus. And -- it safely left the same way every other passenger gets off the bus.
Read full story here

Mini Lobster Rolls for the Prince

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The Greenwich Polo Club served a meal fit for a prince on Wednesday, including miniature seafood appetizers, beef, pasta and an assortment of deserts.

This is the menu that was prepared.
Passed Canapes

  • Miniature One Bite Lobster Rolls
  • Miniature Maryland Crab cakes with lemon caper Aioli
  • Composed Caesar Salad Roll
  • Crispy Potato Gaufrette with Crème France and Oster Caviar
  • Peking Duck and Goat Cheese Spring Rolls with a Red Chili Dipping Sauce

Main Course

  • Grilled Peppered Filet of Beef, Sliced and Served with an Arugula and Shaved Parmesan Salad
  • Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Shaved Corn, Wild Spring Mushrooms, English Peas and Parmesan Curls

Dessert

  • Trays with plates of assorted desserts.
  • Vanilla Bean Crème Brule
  • Mixed Berry Trifle
  • Individual Lemon Curd Tarts with Mixed Berries
  • Chocolate Truffle Brownie Squares
     

 

Preakness Beefs Up Security After Boston

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In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings last month, a number of security policies will be in effect at Saturday's Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, raceway officials said.

Security agents will be wanding all attendees, with all camera bags, purses and containers entering Pimlico Race Course grounds to be searched upon entry.

Backpacks, duffel bags, coolers and or thermoses will be prohibited.

For the fifth year in a row, attendees are prohibited from bringing their own alcoholic beverages to the infield. Faced with dangerous drunkenness in the past, Pimlico now controls all alcohol sales.

Those in the grandstands will be allowed to bring beverages in clear plastic containers, no larger than 18" by 18". Food must also be in clear containers or clear plastic bags no larger than 12" by 12".

Other items banned from the grandstand, clubhouse and infield include:

  • Laser lights or pointers, cameras with lenses more than 6" long, cameras over 35mm, camcorders, tripods, tents, balloons or balls, fireworks, mace or pepper spray, grills,
    umbrellas, weapons, wagons, non-folding or folding metal chairs, ladders, scaffolding or other raised devices

Items allowed on the grandstand, clubhouse or infield include:

  • Beach blankets (infield only), suntan lotion, beach tote bags, cell phones, tablets, cameras, binoculars, purses and lightweight aluminum or plastic lawn chairs (infield only)

The Preakness Stakes — the second leg of the Triple Crown — will be held May 18 at 4:30 p.m.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Vernon Man Charge in Assault on RI College Student

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Police arrested a Vernon man in connection with an assault in Providence, Rhode Island that left a Brown University basketball player in critical condition.

Tory Lussier, 25, was arrested Wednesday at his home at 57 Pinnacle Drive.

Lussier was wanted in connection with an assault on 21-year-old Joseph Sharkey early Sunday morning, police said.

Sharkey was punched in the face while standing on a street corner talking to a group of women around 2 a.m. Sunday, according to the Providence Journal. The attack was unprovoked, the paper reported.

Sharkey was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition Wednesday.

Lussier is being held at the Vernon Police Department as a fugitive from justice, police said. He is awaiting extradition to Rhode Island.



Photo Credit: Vernon Police

Candidate Who Claimed Jesus' Endorsement: Voters Chose Lucifer

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The defeated North Miami mayoral candidate who claimed that Jesus Christ endorsed her now says that the city chose Lucifer over the son of God.

In a post-election statement on her Facebook page, Anna Pierre questioned Tuesday's results, in which she finished last among seven candidates. She also re-affirmed her Christian faith.

“My Jesus has control over my life & the title of mayor doesn’t define who I am as a person,” Pierre wrote. “North Miami chose ‘Luciefer’ (sic) over Jesus. Thank you for your trust & support, your financial contribution, and most importantly – your prayers! I have lost a hard fought battle but not a war.”

Pierre received just 56 votes, or 0.83 percent, according to unofficial Miami-Dade Elections Department results. The registered nurse made the claim about Jesus’ endorsement in a campaign flyer on her Facebook page, and spoke about it as polls opened Tuesday morning.

The candidates who placed first and second on Tuesday, former mayor Kevin Burns and Lucie Tondreau, will square off in a June 4 runoff for mayor.

“They claimed I only have 56 votes – you can believe them if you want – I know they are corrupted and some members of the current administration were ready to do anything to have their protege elected to (perhaps) prevent their butt from going to jail in the near future,” Pierre wrote. Her message that was also sent out via a mass email, The Miami Herald reported.

Tondreau has the endorsement of Mayor Andre Pierre, who campaigned for her on Haitian radio before the election, the Herald reported.

Andre Pierre and Anna Pierre are not related. They did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.

VIDEO: Candidate Said Voodoo Tactics Were Being Used Against Her

Anna Pierre also congratulated Tondreau – who told the Herald that Pierre was reaching for excuses for why she lost.

“I can understand Ms. Pierre’s frustration. She used voodoo, that didn’t work. And then, Jesus endorsed her,” Tondreau said, referring to Pierre’s earlier claim that she was being intimidated with voodoo tactics. “If she got Jesus’ endorsement, that’s the biggest endorsement you can get. Why is she worried about who endorsed me?”



Photo Credit: NBC 6 South Florida

Charges for Man Disguised as Woman in Bathroom Filming

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Charges were filed Tuesday against a man who wore a wig and women's clothing to disguise himself as he allegedly used a concealed camera to record "hours" of video of women in a Los Angeles-area department store restroom.

Jason Pomare, 33, of Palmdale, was arrested Saturday after customers contacted security officers at a Macy's store to report a man in the women's restroom. The security officers contacted a deputy, who was on patrol at the Antelope Valley Mall (map) when he saw a man matching the subject's description leave the store.

When the deputy found the man hiding in a mall storage area, the subject was wearing a wig, women's clothing and bra, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"The deputy noticed he was wearing a wig and appeared to have breasts," said Sgt. Brian Hudson, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Pomare (pictured, right) was charged Tuesday with six counts of unlawful use of a concealed camera for purposes of sexual gratification. After his arrest, investigators said a video camera found in his purse had "hours" of video of women using the restroom inside the store.

The suspect pointed the concealed camera under restroom stalls, but one woman recognized the camera's red recording light and contacted security officers, investigators said. Pomare told detectives he had been in the restroom for about two hours, said Hudson.

Anyone with information about the case can contact detectives at 1-800-222-8477.


 

One Dead After Officer-Involved Shooting in Hartford

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One person is dead after a police-involved shooting at 24 Heath Ave. in Hartford around 10 p.m. on Wednesday.  and family members said it started as a fight over a dominoes game

Police officers responded to the multi-family residence because of the report of a disturbance.

When officers arrived, they found a stabbing victim and a bloody scene.

Then, there was another altercation when a police told a suspect to drop a box cutter, but the man lunged at police and an officer shot him, according to state police.

“That individual was armed with a box-cutter knife. The officer told him several times to disarm. ... He advanced and lunged toward the officer, which caused one of the officers to draw the service weapon,” said Lt. Paul Vance, of Connecticut State Police.

The man was rushed to St. Francis Hospital and pronounced dead, officials said.

His name has not been released. He was 52 years old police referred to him as a "suspect."

Police said they have a tentative identification and are notifying family.

The nephew of a man who was stabbed said the fight started over a game of dominoes and the situation got out of control.

The stabbing victim and two officers were also taken to a local hospital.  Their conditions are not known at this time.

State police have taken over the investigation. The officer involved is on administrative duty, which is protocol.

An autopsy will be conducted. No names have yet been released.

Maria Nascimento, who has run her business out of the neighborhood for years, said the incident could’ve been avoided.

“Things get carried away. They were peacefully playing dominos. ... One has one too many and things happen,” she said.

 

 

 

Police Divers to Search Water for Missing ECSU Student

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A state police dive team will search several bodies of water on Thursday in the search for missing ECSU student Alyssiah Wiley.

Divers will search waterways from Bridgeport to Willimantic, according to Lt. Paul Vance. They will begin in Bridgeport at 8:30 a.m. and move to Ansonia if time allows, Vance said.

Wiley, 26, disappeared April 20. She was last seen near the Dairy Queen on Main Street in Willimantic on her way to Eastern Connecticut State University's campus.

According to Vance, state police have no new leads on Wiley's disappearance, but investigators don't want to leave any stone unturned.

On Wednesday, family and friends gathered in Ansonia in the latest search organized by Wiley's mother, Corrinna Martin.  She has already  organized searches for Wiley at Meriden's Hubbard Park and Bridgeport's Beardsley Park.

Police found a car wanted in connection to Wiley's disappearance in Bridgeport three weeks ago. Investigators would not say why they were looking for the black Nissan Altima or who it belongs to.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Mason, Emma Lead List of Popular Baby Names in Connecticut

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The list of the most popular names parents in Connecticut picked for their babies in 2012 is in and the top two are Mason and Emma. 
 
The list comes from the Social Security Administration and the top five boys names for 2012 in Connecticut were:

  1. Mason
  2. Jacob
  3. Michael
  4. Liam
  5. Ethan


The most popular girls names for 2012 in Connecticut were:

  1. Emma
  2. Olivia 
  3. Isabella 
  4. Sophia 
  5. Ava 

In 2011, the most popular boys name in Connecticut was Alexander and Sophia led the list of girls names.

You can view the whole list on the Social Security Web site.

Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced last week that Sophia and Jacob were the most popular baby names in the U.S. 

This is the fourteenth year in a row that Jacob tops the list for boys and the second year for Sophia.

Elizabeth and Liam are new to the list, replacing Chloe and Daniel, and the Social Security Administration said Liam could be attributed to Liam Neeson’s recent major roles in “Battleship” and the popular “Taken,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “Clash of the Titans.”
 
In addition to each state’s top baby names, Social Security’s website has a list of the 1,000 most popular boys’ and girls’ names for 2012 and offers lists of baby names for each year since 1880.
 
To read about this year’s winner for the biggest jump in popularity and to see how pop culture affects baby names, click.here.
 

FBI Investigates $625,000 Gold Heist at MIA

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The FBI is investigating after $625,000 in gold bars were somehow stolen minutes after it was unloaded from a plane at Miami International Airport.

The theft happened around 5 a.m. Tuesday shortly after American Airlines Flight 902 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, which was carrying the gold, landed at the airport, according to a Miami-Dade Police incident report.

According to the report, the plane had docked at Gate D3 where the property was removed from the cargo area by five workers.

Two Pedestrians Struck and Killed By Minivan in Margate

At one point, the cart was driven to the other side of the plane and left there, but it's unknown who moved it, the report said.

A short time later, a tug from Gate D6 stopped at the cart before going to Gate D37 and then an alleyway, where video surveillance of the tug was lost, the report said.

The cart was found about an hour later in front of Gate D19.

The FBI is investigating the incident but gave no details. An American Airlines spokeswoman said they are assisting authorities with the investigation.

More Local Stories:



Photo Credit: NBC 6 South Florida

Cars Burned in I-84 Crash

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Two separate crashes slowed the early morning commute on Interstate 84 in East Hartford on Thursday morning.

Around 4:30 a.m., an SUV hit the back of a tractor-trailer carrying Mercedes Benz vehicles at the Interstate 384 split.

The SUV caught fire and the blaze spread to several cars on the carrier, according to fire officials.

Then, a truck carrying meat hit a tractor-trailer that was stopped, officials said.

The meat truck driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to Hartford Hospital.

There were additional minor injuries, officials said.

The three right lanes were closed near exit 59, but the road has reopened.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut,com

Abortion Doctor Lived in "Squalor": Investigators

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For nearly three years, Philadelphia Police crime scene investigator John Taggart has remained silent about what he saw after stepping inside Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s two homes and West Philadelphia clinic -- nicknamed the “House of Horrors.”

Now that the former Philadelphia abortion doctor has been sentenced to life in prison and the case's gag order lifted, Taggart is speaking out about what he found.

Taggart and his team began searching Gosnell’s properties for fetal remains in February 2010 following an FBI raid of the doctor’s West Philadelphia clinic, the Women’s Medical Society.

Inside Gosnell’s West Philadelphia home, the doctor spared no expense on high-end appliances, large flat-screen TVs and a piano, but Taggart says the 72-year-old surrounded himself with filth.

“He just lived in squalor,” said Taggart. “He would leave plates of food on the floor. There was stuff everywhere in the bedroom. You couldn’t see the bed.”

Gosnell sat at the piano and played Chopin as police donned bio-hazard suits to investigate the contents of his home’s basement.

“As soon as they went down into the basement, they were covered in fleas,” Taggart said. “He actually gave us a bottle of flea repellent and said, ‘See what a nice guy I am? I told you there were fleas in the basement.’ He said ‘I didn’t have to tell ya’s’”

Investigators also visited Gosnell’s shore home in Brigantine, N.J. Taggart says the home was not well-kept, but that the property was “beautiful.”

“It backed up to the bay, he had a beautiful like four-slip boat slip,” he said.

The Philadelphia Police Crime Scene Unit traveled down the Atlantic City Expressway to search for the remains of unaccounted fetuses.

“We went down there because we thought maybe some of the babies were thrown into the bay,” he said. “There’s a lot of babies that are still unaccounted for that we don’t know where they’re at.”

The team ventured into the bay and pulled up several crab traps owned by Gosnell to see if there were remains inside. However, nothing was found. New Jersey authorities also sent a dive team into the bay before Taggart’s search and were unable to locate any remains.

“I believe they are either buried out there or I don’t know where they are. We’ve looked, we’ve looked for three years,” he said.

Taggart also recounted his time inside the Women’s Medical Society, calling the clinic, located at 3801 Lancaster Avenue, unforgettable.

“The smells were just unbearable,” he said. “You could tell there was death somewhere.”

Taggart found dead babies stuffed inside a refrigerator. But it’s what he and other officials found as they searched room-by -room that he says will be forever burned into his memory.

“Opening up the cabinet and seeing all the feet,” he said. “I’ll remember that for a long time.”

Those feet were severed from babies following abortion procedures. Prosecutors say Gosnell would deliver some babies alive, despite giving them medication in utero meant to stop their heart. The doctor and his staff would then snip their necks with scissors to ensure death.

Investigators said baby body parts would clog toilets after women delivered them in stalls inside the clinic. But for the first time, Taggart describes how remains were uncovered in the break room sink.

“They were shoving body parts down the garbage disposal,” said Taggart. “To the point where they plunged it one day and an arm popped out on Lancaster Avenue.”

The clinic, though not opened, still stands today.

Gosnell, who was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies, was given two consecutive life sentences in two of those verdicts. He struck a deal to avoid the death penalty by giving up his right to an appeal.

On Wednesday, Gosnell was sentenced to a third consecutive life sentence for the murder of the third baby. He also was given an additional two and a half to five consecutive years in the involuntary manslaughter death of former patient Karnamaya Mongar. The attorney for Mongar's family says they plan on suing both Gosnell and the City of Philadelphia.

Gosnell was also sentenced to concurrent sentences for 229 violations of Pennsylvania abortion regulations, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

The former doctor also pled guilty to federal charges related to illegal narcotics distribution. He's expected to be sentenced for those crimes next week.

For extensive coverage of the "House of Horrors" Abortion Doctor Trial, click here to visit our dedicated section on the case.

RELATED STORIES

 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Tornado Survivors Recall Horrifying Night: "Never Been So Scared"

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Earl McCoy was asleep when a tornado—one of 10 to tear through North Texas Wednesday night—arrived in Ennis.

He was awoken, not by screaming wind or blaring sirens, but by a drip of water that fell from his ceiling—his only warning of what was to come.

A moment later, the ceiling collapsed. "I jumped up and went to the door and then that fell," McCoy said, pointing to another section of the ceiling. "To be sound asleep, and this piece falls on top of me, and this piece falls right beside me ... it was unreal."

Elizabeth Tovar of Granbury, the hardest-hit area of North Texas, rode out the storm in her tub.

"We were all, like, hugging in the bathtub and that's when it started happening. I heard glass shattering and I knew my house was going," Tovar said. "We looked up and … the whole ceiling was gone."

Three tornadoes that touched down drilled through Hood County around 8 p.m., leaving six dead, seven missing and 250 people homeless, Sheriff Roger Deeds said.

All of the fatalities were in the Rancho Brazos neighborhood, built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers over the last five years.

"Some were found in houses. Some were found around houses," Deeds said. "There was a report that two of these people that they found were not even near their homes. So we're going to have to search the area out there."

The search for survivors, and the dead, began last night at the scene, which Deeds described as "a war zone."

NBC 5's Scott Gordon, who was in Granbury after the storm hit, said that residents in the area appeared to be "dazed." He said there were not enough stretchers to go around and that children were carried out as driving rain hammered down.

Back in Ennis, Donna Summer was expressing her gratitude for the police and firefighters who checked on her throughout the night. She was working a late shift at a local restaurant when the winds picked up.

"Sounded like a low, whirring, whir noise, like a train. A small train," she said. "I just stayed inside and prayed a lot. Didn't want to get outside. I was afraid to see if we had a town left."

After the power cut out, she said the only lights were those from police and fire vehicles outside.

"About every hour they'd come by and check on me ... make sure the boogeyman don't get me."

Further west in Cleburne, where a mile-wide tornado was reported Wednesday night, Shari East was still processing what she went through.

"I have nightmares about tornadoes every year, and now I lived through one."

East said she heard warning sirens for a few minutes before the storm was upon her.

"It just kind of hit out of nowhere. You could hear it. My husband made us all get in the bathtub and put mattresses over us. He wouldn't get in the bathtub because there wasn't enough room."

East had been on the phone with her daughter, who lives across town, when the call cut off.

"Scary. Never been so scared in my life," she said, adding that she was "amazed that we all lived through it."



Photo Credit: AP

Baby’s Family Wants Answers on What Caused Her Death

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The family of 13-month-old Madison Reid spent an emotional day in court on Thursday as the man accused of causing her death was arraigned.

Madison’s mother and grandparents said they want answers about how the little girl died. They also said they want justice for baby who will never grow up to go to kindergarten, never mind the prom.

Michael A. Rios, 22, of Norwich, was charged with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor in connection with Madison’s death and released after posting bond earlier this month.

Rios was dating Madison’s mother and had been caring for the little girl when she sustained injuries that turned out to be fatal, according to court paperwork.

“I just want justice for my granddaughter,” Kate Berkman, Madison’s grandmother, said. “The fact that he is staying with his parents and that he is allowed to be driving around, and having myself and my family seeing him driving around is not right.“
 
Dr. Lawrence Eric Berkman, Madison’s grandfather, said the family is not looking for retribution or revenge, but they want justice and to know what happened to the little girl.

“Our families beg for the truth,” he said on Thursday, looking over at Rios.

When Rios brought Madison to William W. Backus Hospital on May 2, he told staff she fell off the bed, according to the affidavit.

He also said he would throw her into the air and catch her under her arms to make her laugh and drop her onto a bed, according to court paperwork.


He also said he’d set the baby on the sink in the bathroom and she fell and hit her head, according to officials.

Madison’s death was ruled a homicide and the medical examiner determined that she suffered from a subdural hematoma to the left side of the brain, a hematoma to the spinal cord, hemorrhaging on both optic nerves and mouth contusions.

“He's told four stories and none of them … the doctor at Children's Hospital said none of those stories are true,” Colleen Reid, Madison’s paternal grandmother, said.

She said she will never get to see her granddaughter go to kindergarten, soccer games, prom or her wedding.  

“He has his life and Madison doesn't have any life at all,” Colleen Reid said. “Madison is gone.  And they can't fix this at all.  Nobody can fix this for Madison.  … It would be better if he admitted it so we could know what happened to her.“

Elizabeth Reid, Madison’s mother, said she felt like she was going to be sick when she saw Rios.

“Nothing that the court can say is gonna bring my baby back,” she said. “If he told me the truth it would help a lot. I just want to know what really happened. “

Attorney Christopher Morano, who is representing Rios, said his client is in pain. He loved Madison, loved her mother and knows that she is going through incredible pain.  

The investigation was quick and Rios was arrested within 48 hours, he said.

“I am very concerned that the investigation here was very, very quick. Child fatalities of this type are very, very complex,” Morano said.

Rios has no prior criminal history and was scheduled to go into the Air Force within the Monday after being arrested, according to his attorney, who said he hopes the process will lead to the truth.  
Rios was charged with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor and released after posting a $100,000 surety bond.

The case has been transferred to Part A on June 3. The judge decided not to raise the bond because another judge set it.



Photo Credit: Family Photo

WATCH: OJ Simpson Hotel Raid Case Hearing

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OJ Simpson is back in court Thursday one day after testifying about advice he received from his former attorney before a hotel room raid that led to a sentence that might keep the former NFL Hall of Fame player in prison for the rest of his life.

An animated Simpson spoke for six hours in the Las Vegas courtroom, facing questions about advice he claims he received from attorney Yale Galanter, who represented the ex-USC Trojan during the 2008 robbery and kidnapping trial. Simpson was part of a group of men who entered the Palace Station hotel in 2007 to retrieve sports memorabilia that Simpson said went missing after his acquittal in his 1995 Los Angeles murder trial.

The 65-year-old Simpson, who did not testify at the trial, told the court Wednesday that Galanter spoke with his about retrieving the sports memorabilia over dinner.

"It seems to me that much of what we're doing here now has to do with things that he tried to keep undercover," Simpson, dressed in blue prison clothes, said. "It was my stuff. I followed what I thought was the law. My lawyer told me I couldn't break into a guy's room. I didn't break into anybody's room. I didn't try to muscle the guys. The guys had my stuff, even though they claimed they didn't steal it.''

Simpson re-stated that he was not aware two of the men in the group were carrying guns, adding that guns "were never a subject." He also said the "couple of big guys" with him at the hotel were there to help carry out the items, including signed footballs and photos.

"I don't need security," Simpson said he told others involved in a conversation at the Palms hotel on the morning of the raid.

Simpson, at times, appeared to relish the opportunity to be on the stand, using theatrical gestures and even asking a burly corrections officer to stand up to demonstrate the size of the men who accompanied him to the Palace Station. The men were there "not to start trouble but to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble," Simpson said.

Crowds at the courthouse had been small, unlike the 1995 murder trial in Los Angeles and the 2008 robbery and kidnapping trials, until Wednesday. A court marshal turned people away, sending more than 15 people to an overflow room where video of Simpson's testimony was streamed live.

Simpson and his attorneys are attempting to prove during the weeklong hearing that his trial attorney mishandled the case. Simpson wants a new trial because he says his longtime lawyer failed to disclose that he knew about the hotel room raid in advance, told Simpson it was legal and provided bad advice at trial.

The new challenge follows the Nevada Supreme Court's denial of Simpson's 2010 appeal, also handled by Galanter. Simpson's new attorney filed the writ of habeas corpus in May 2012, seeking her client's release from prison and reversal of the conviction.

He has already served four years in prison, but must serve nine of the maximum 33-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Four Simpson co-defendants pleaded guilty to felonies and testified for the prosecution. A fifth defendant, Clarence "C.J.'' Stewart, was convicted and served more than two years in prison before the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that Simpson's fame tainted Stewart's conviction.

A judge eventually ruled that the items in the hotel room should be delivered to Simpson's civil case attorney.
 

WATCH: Sentencing Phase of the Jodi Arias Trial

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In this image made from pool video provided by APTN, Jodi Arias reacts during the reading of the verdict at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the gruesome killing of her one-time boyfriend in Arizona after a four-month trial that captured headlines with lurid tales of sex, lies, religion and a salacious relationship that ended in a blood bath. (AP Photo/APTN, Pool)

Live Ammo Goes Off Inside Burning Home

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Charlene Rivers is left only with the pink bathrobe she wore on Thursday morning after fire destroyed the 130-year-old Windsor Locks home that has been in her family for nearly 50 years, she said.

Rivers, a direct descendant of Stonington founder Thomas Minor, said her family has no fire insurance.

Among the possessions fire destroyed was her father's antique gun collection. Ammunition from that collection was exploding when firefighters arrived, which complicated efforts for firefighters.  

Around 2 a.m., firefighters responded to reports of a porch fire and were confronted by raging flames shooting from the front porch and the sound of explosions going off.

"When our crew first got on scene, we were told to stand back because there was ammo going off," Chief Gary Ruggerio, of the Windsor Locks Fire Department, said. "Initially when we pulled up, here were a lot of explosions going off, so that kept the guys back so they couldn't make an exterior attack."

Rivers, who lived in the house with her two brothers, said the ammunition came from her father’s gun collection.

"It scared the firemen because they don't know how much he had. I didn't know how much he had. All I know is that he had 14 guns. They were all put away and triggered locked and they were very old," she said.

At first, firefighters tried to fight the fire from inside the house, but they had to move out of it and fight the fire from the exterior.

The front porch collapsed in the fire and the home appears to be a complete loss.

All that Rivers has left is the pink bath robe on her back, she said.

"This is unbelievable," she said. "The first thing that I saw was the yellow glow."

Thankfully, Charlene and her two brothers got out OK and no firefighters were injured.

Rivers said she thinks the fire was intentionally set and someone staying with the family was targeted.

Windsor Locks Fire Marshal Mike Sinisgalli said it is not clear if the cause of the fire us suspicious and said the investigation will take some time.  



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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