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Investigation Finds Rocky Hill Cops, Civilian Worker Drank on Job

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Four Rocky Hill city employees were caught drinking on the job several months ago and police have released the findings of their investigation. 

According to an internal investigation, three officer and one civilian employee were purging documents in an area known as the "vault". 

On Tuesday, town employees released the investigation, stating that Sgt. Joseph Phelps, Detective Andrew O'Brien, Officer Jon Lammers and Clerk Laughen Cunningham did violate Rocky Hill police and town rules of conduct. 

All four employees were being paid by the Town of Rocky Hill at the time of the incident. 

Sgt. Phelps admitted he brought a 12-pack of Yuengling beer into the station and all four employees said they had drank some of the beer.

It's unclear whether Phelps was driving his personal car or a police vehicle.

All employees told investigators the drinking happened after work and the group was getting ready to exit the police facility.

"Alcohol was not brought here with the intention to drink here; it was brought here to keep cold," Phelps said. "I apologize for allowing the alcohol to have been consumed in the Human Services Department."

It's unclear what the punishment may be.

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters were told there is no surveillance video available of the incident.


NY Attorney General Reveals Inquiry Into Trump Foundation

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The office of New York state's top prosecutor has made inquiries into Donald Trump's nonprofit foundation after questions about impropriety, NBC News reported.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman revealed the inquiry on Tuesday, telling CNN that "we have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety," although he did not go into detail.

"We've inquired into it and we've had correspondence with them," Schneiderman said. "I didn't make a big deal out of it or hold a press conference. We have been looking into the Trump Foundation to make sure it's complying with the laws governing charities in New York."

In response to the news, Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller released a statement calling Schneiderman "a partisan hack who has turned a blind eye to the Clinton Foundation for years and has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

New London Man Approaches Juvenile, Asks for Urine: Police

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A New London man allegedly approached a juvenile walking hom from school and asked him for his urine, police said. 

Police were dispatched to Vauxhill Street near Williams Street at 3:49 p.m.

The juvenile was walking home from school when he was approached by an unknown man who asked him to urinate in a "cup", New London Police said. 

The suspect offered to pay the victim $5 for the specimen and it was alleged that the urine was going to be passed off to an agency for a mandated test, police said. 

Police identified and arrested Tiron Houser, 41, in connection to the incident.

Houser was charged with risk of injury to a minor and his bond was set at $10,000. 



Photo Credit: New London Police

Woman, 88, Beaten, Robbed at Home

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An 88-year-old San Jose woman is undergoing intensive care at a hospital after being viciously beaten during a home invasion robbery Monday night, officials said.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies were called out to a residence on the 200 block of North Cragmont Avenue in East San Jose around 8 p.m. The elderly woman, identified as Flo Douglas, lives in the house alone, but is popular in the community, neighbors said.

Friends told NBC Bay Area on Tuesday that Douglas' condition is deteriorating.

Deputies said that the suspect or suspects snatched jewelry from Douglas, ransacked her home and stole her car from the garage. The victim was taken to an area hospital with severe facial and head trauma, they said.

"Oh, it was horrible, really horrible," neighbor Rita King said. "She didn't deserve this. She's a sweet person."

Deputies believe the suspects entered the house and attacked Douglas, and then left. They robbed the residence upon their return a few hours later, they said.

"She remembers being assaulted and there being a time when they were gone," Sheriff's spokesman Richard Glennon said. "They came back to ransack her house. They also stole jewelry from her person."

Douglas told investigators that she was beaten by two men, who broke into her house through a side door.

"I definitely think she was targeted," neighbor Chris Dilley said.

Investigators say the assailants also stole Douglas car, crashing through the gate and fence in front of the residence. They ditched the vehicle down the street, where a neighbor noticed the windows and sunroof were open. 

"My daughter went over and kind of checked around it, and saw it was ransacked, and her medical ID card was on the floor," said neighbor Phyllis Silva. 

The woman went to Douglas' house and found her beaten and nearly unconscious. The family called 911 and has been checking on Douglas ever since. 

Upon returning from the hospital on Tuesday, Silva said, "It's not looking good right now. It's not looking good. Just say prayers."

Investigators, who entered Douglas' house wearing breathing masks, were searching for answers and collecting evidence all of Tuesday. They are also reviewing surveillance footage from other houses in the neighborhood.

People with information have been asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 408-808-4431.

NBC Bay Area's Rhea Mahbubani contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Robert Handa
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Wedding Ring Found in Boot After Tolland Firefighter Fundraiser

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Tolland firefighters collected something extra Saturday in their Fill the Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association -- a wedding band.

Someone who drove through the Route 195 - Rhodes Road intersection in Tolland between 10 a.m. and noon apparently made a mistake.

Just after 2 p.m., the Tolland Firefighters union local made this Facebook posting: "We found a wedding ring inside our boot from the MDA Fill the Boot. Please contact Public Safety Officer Fichera if you lost a ring today."

"It's definitely valuable. It's gonna have some meaning to it so we would like to find the owner and return the band back to them," Fichera said Tuesday morning.

And the owner would be able to describe it?

"Yes, there's a couple markings on the ring they'd be able to describe to me," he said.

The Tolland firefighters fill the boot with cash or coins only, no checks or donations in kind. Nobody said, "I don't want this ring, you can have it."

"The ring could have fell off their finger," figured Fichera. "They could have taken the ring off, put it in the cup holder, emptied the change inside the boot."

Describe it properly and he'll give you the ring back.

"I would like to get the ring back to the owner, make sure that they get the ring."

The ring that wound up in a boot can now be found at the firehouse. In Tolland, at 30 Rhodes Road.

By the way, the firefighters raised $5,100 to fight muscle disease.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Connecticare to Remain on Access Health

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The single largest insurer has reversed course and will remain on Access Health Connecticut, the state's health insurance marketplace.

Connecticare had informed state regulators last Friday that it would exit Access Health, and not offer plans for the 2017 open enrollment which is scheduled to start Nov. 1.

The decision by Connecticare to leave Access Health came after a New Britain Superior Court judge denied a request to reverse the Insurance Department's refusal to allow the insurer to raise rates by more than 17 percent for the more than 50,000 policyholders who purchased their plans through the state marketplace.

The move means Access Health will have two insurers, Anthem and Connecticare, offering individual plans for the 2017 coverage year.

In a statement, Connecticare's CEO Michael Wise wrote, "After hearing from state officials, providers and beneficiaries about the importance of our plan to Connecticut, we have decided to move forward into 2017 as a plan on the Exchange at the rates approved by the Department. To that end, we have withdrawn our legal appeals with the courts and the Department, and we have sent a letter to the Exchange rescinding the termination notice that we sent to them on Friday."



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Google Will Fix Milford Walnut Beach Mapping Glitch

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Good news for folks living in a sleepy section of Milford , involving an on-going gaffe on Google Maps.

Turns out Walnut Beach goers are no longer being sent to their quiet neighborhood when they type in the address on Google Maps.

According to screen grabs, travelers are still not getting the right address when they pop in Walnut Beach on Google Maps on their iPhone.

Residents on Fairfield street, reached out to the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters saying drivers looking for Walnut Beach ended up outside their garage about a mile away.

After NBC Connecticut's report aired last Friday night, those same residents said their no-exit neighborhood had traffic reduced by 75 percent.

They said there are no more confused cars racing through the intersection w/phones in hand.

Ron Pirizo sent NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters this statement:

“Our homes have been quickly returned to a quiet little neighborhood that we remembered before the Google mapping mess began over 3 years ago. Unfortunately for the travelers, their nightmare will continue as google was nice enough to move the destination to one of Milford’s worst condensed intersections that is nowhere near walnut beach!”

NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters reached out to Google several times about the glitch. On Tuesday, they responded:

"We looked into it and are working to fix the issue and ensure that drivers are routed directly to Walnut Beach rather than the residential neighborhood. I'll let you know as soon as the fix is complete, which should be in a couple days or so."



Photo Credit: Google Maps

UNC Chapel Hill Student Says She Was Raped Then 'Treated Like a Suspect'

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A student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill claims she was raped by a football player on campus, then "treated like a suspect" while her alleged attacker went free, NBC News reported.

Delaney Robinson, 19, flanked by her father and attorney, held a news conference Tuesday in which she slammed her school for not taking action after she was allegedly assaulted on Valentine's Day.

"I did everything a rape victim is supposed to do," Robinson said. "I reported it. I allowed the rape kit to be taken. I gave a statement. I cooperated with law enforcement and the Title IX office. But six months later, the university has done nothing."



Photo Credit: AP

Hartford Police Investigate Wethersfield Avenue Shooting

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Hartford police are investigating a shooting that occurred on Wethersfield Avenue Tuesday night.

Police said around 9:23 p.m. Tuesday they received a Shot Spotter notification in the area of 324-342 Wethersfield Avenue.

A male victim in his 30s was shot in the hand and thigh, Deputy Chief Brian Foley confirmed. The victim was treated and released from Hartford Hospital.

Hartford Major Crimes detectives are investigating.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Retired Newington Officer Accused of Possessing Child Porn

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State police have arrested a former Newington police officer on child pornography charges.

Mark Dichiara, 48, of Burlington, was arrested by state police on Monday. He is accused of possessing child pornography and sharing it over the Internet.

According to state police, in April 2016 the Computer Crimes Unit began investigating child porn being shared over the internet. Investigators tracked the activity to a Burlington home.

State police said the on May 3 investigators executed a search and seizure warrant at 16 Mountain Briar Road in Burlington, Dichiara’s home. Police said they seized several items that lead to the discovery of suspected child pornography.

On Sept. 12, Dichiara turned himself in on an active arrest warrant. He was released on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bristol Superior Court on Sept. 26.

Newington police confirmed that Dichiara was hired as a dispatcher for their department in 1990. In 1993, he was hired as a police officer. He spent his career in the patrol division and retired in January 2013. Dichiara also served as a volunteer firefighter between 1986 and 1992.

"He was a great guy, straight as an arrow, he was very professional in everything he did. This would be the last thing I would expect of him," said Newington Volunteer Fire Chief, Chris Schroeder.

Newington police said they were aware of his arrest. The Newington police chief confirms that Dichiara did not work with children during his tenure as a cop. 

Members of the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Burlington Resident Trooper’s Office, US Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI were all involved in the investigation, police said.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to Dichiara for comment. 



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

I-95 in Old Saybrook Reopens After Sausage Truck Crash

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I-95 North is has reopened at exit 67 in Old Saybrook after a box truck carrying 6,000 pounds of frozen sausage collided with a a tractor trailer carrying aluminum coil.

No serious injuries were reported.

Crews from the state Department of Transportation and the Department of Consumer Protection responded to the scene. A dumpster was also requested to dispose of the sausage.

The road was closed for about an hour and a half but has since reopened.

No other details were available.

New Haven Firefighters Knock Down Bedroom Fire

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New Haven firefighters knocked down a bedroom fire early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded to 166 Hamilton Avenue around 5 a.m. When they arrived they found working fire in a bedroom at the home. It was quickly knocked down.

There is no word on injuries at this time.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Hacker 'Guccifer 2.0' Releases More DNC Docs

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"Guccifer 2.0" released over 670 megabytes of documents at a cybersecurity conference in London, NBC News reported. The group also claims to have been behind the Democratic National Convention's email leaks.

The work cell phone numbers, personal email addresses and personal cell phone numbers of top Obama White House officials were also included in the cache.

Tim Kaine's title on the spreadsheet of contacts is "Chairman's Office" — which might mean that the document was created from 2009 to 2011, when Kaine was with the Democratic National Committee. The metadata shows that it was last modified on April 4, 2010. The DNC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, U.S. intelligence officials and other experts suspect Russian involvement.



Photo Credit: Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

Milford Police Increasing Patrols on Bridgeport Avenue

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Milford police are stepping up patrols along Bridgeport Avenue (Route 1) following two serious accidents involving pedestrians last month.

State Representative Kim Rose (D-Milford) pulled traffic data for the area between exit 34 and Rivercliff Anenuve and found in the last decade there have been 17 accidents involving cars and pedestrians – four of them fatal.

One of those accidents was a hit-and-run that occurred last month and is still unsolved. On Aug. 28, a 24-year-old employee from the Bridge House Restaurant was leaving work on Bridgeport Avenue and walking to her parked car a few blocks away when she was hit by a car. The victim was seriously injured. The vehicle did not stop, and police believe the driver was speeding.

Less than 48 hours after that crash, a 14-year-old boy was walking to school when he was struck near Bridgeport Avenue and Camden Street. The boy suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. The driver in that incident did stop, but officials said it is just the latest example of how dangerous the area is.

Milford police hope by stepping up patrols it will deter dangerous driving in the area.

Anyone with information on the hit and run is asked to contact the Milford Police Department Traffic Division at (203) 878-5244.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Powell in Hacked Emails: Trump Is 'National Disgrace'

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Emails released by hackers reveal that former Secretary of State Colin Powell called Donald Trump a "national disgrace" and "international pariah," NBC News reported.

Powell, a retired 4-star general and a Republican, confirmed the authenticity of the emails to NBC News.

"The hackers have a lot more," he added.

The contents of the emails were first reported by Buzzfeed News. It said the messages had been obtained by the website DCLeaks.com which is rumored to have ties to Russian intelligence services.

There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign to the emails.



Photo Credit: AP

University Police Investigating Sexual Assault at CCSU

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University police said they are investigating a sexual assault that happened on Central Connecticut State University.

A university spokesman said the incident occurred over the weekend. 

The person who reported the assault was "provided with support and information" from staff, including CCSU's Victim's Advocate, the spokesman said. 

So far, CCSU police determined the alleged assault was isolated and there is no threat to the campus community. For this reason, the school did not send out an email or text alert to students. 

“It is scary because I didn’t even hear about it,” said sophomore Kelley Lawrence.

New Britain police said they were informed about the sexual assault but because the incident happened on campus, it is to be investigated by campus police. 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

11 Hartford Officers Treated for Heroin, Fentanyl Exposure

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Eleven members of the Hartford police department were sent to the hospital after being exposed to heroin and fentanyl during a narcotics operation Tuesday.

Deputy Chief Brian Foley said the ERT team was executing a search warrant in the Asylum Hill neighborhood around 7:30 p.m. when they started experiencing symptoms.  They reported feeling light-headed, nauseated, and complained of sore throats, headaches and vomiting.

All the officers were transported to Saint Francis Hospital where they were treated and released.

Police believe they were exposed to raw powder narcotics that were airborne.

During the operation police seized 50,000 bags of heroin, two hand guns and 350 grams of raw heroin, and arrested three people, Foley said.

More information was not immediately available. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

Prospect Street Bridge in Naugatuck to Close For Weekend

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The Prospect Street Bridge on Route 68 in Naugatuck will be closed for maintenance this weekend, according to police.

Police said the closure begins Friday at 9 p.m. and may last through 6 a.m. Monday. Drivers should use alternate routes. Police said the Maple Street bridge will be open to westbound traffic and the Salem Bridge will be open in both directions.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Boy in Ohio 'Heroin' Picture Heading to New Home

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A 4-year-old Ohio boy pictured in a photo sitting in a vehicle behind his slumped-over grandmother and her friend, who were later revived with a heroin overdose antidote, is heading to a new home, NBC News reported. 

Police in East Liverpool, Ohio, shared the photo in a recent Facebook post to graphically illustrate the dangers of "the poison known as heroin."

The 4-year-old is going to live with his great-aunt and great-uncle in South Carolina, Columbiana County Court Administrator Dane Walton confirmed Tuesday.

His grandmother, 50-year-old Rhonda Pasek, is in jail awaiting trial on charges of endangering a child and public intoxication, Walton said. Pasek was granted custody of the boy just six weeks before she and 47-year-old James Lee Acord were arrested last week by police in East Liverpool.



Photo Credit: East Liverpool Police Department

Woman Accused in Killingly Home Invasion

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Connecticut State police have arrested a Moosup woman on home invasion and narcotics charges.

The Troop D Quality of Life Task force took Sharif Hicks, 46, into custody after receiving a report of a robbery and assault at a home in Killingly.

The victim told police that Hicks went inyo his home around 6 p.m. Tuesday and took his wallet, which had around $500 in cash in it, out of a drawer, police said.

When he tried to take it back she pushed him to the ground and took off, said the victim who reported getting a head injury during the altercation.

Police found Hicks around 9:20 p.m. on Prospect Avenue in Danielson and took her into custody.

Police said they found crack cocaine, heroin and $210 on her at the time.

Hicks is charged with third-degree robbery, second-degree assault on an elderly person, home invasion, second-degree larceny, possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interfering with an officer.

She was held on a $100,000 cash bond and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police
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