Troopers came to the rescue of a mother who they say was kidnapped by her own son and stuffed into the trunk of his car because she didn't want to move with him to Miami.

A dashcam video released by authorities shows a South Carolina State trooper approach the car and open the trunk, revealing the mother of 20-year-old suspect Regelio Lopez inside, police said.

"Ma'am, you okay?" the trooper asks the woman.

"What's going on that made you want to do this, with her in the trunk?" the officer asks the man, identified as Regelio Lopez.

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"She didn't want to come with me. She was in the car but she didn't want to come," the man on the video replies.

A camera inside a trooper's cruiser captured the incident last month at a rest stop along I-95 in rural Santee, South Carolina. Troopers surrounded the Cadillac, guns drawn as they approached.

Lopez is from Richmond, Va., and authorities had received a tip that he was on the road. The traffic stop happened about 360 miles from Richmond, with Lopez's mom stuffed in the trunk for the whole ride, authorities said.

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The video shows officers walking the woman to an ambulance as she grabs her back.

Lopez faces a kidnapping charge in Richmond.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra will deliver the 2014 State of the City Address on Monday evening at
City Hall.

The speech will be delivered at 5 p.m. from the council chambers.

City officials said that, for the first time, on-site translations will be offered in Spanish.

The speech is open to the public.
 

Kristin Davis, the former madam and candidate for governor and New York City comptroller, pleaded guilty in court Friday to illegally distributing prescription pills.

Davis was arrested in August for selling hundreds of powerful painkillers and other prescription pills to a drug dealer wearing a wire, federal authorities said.

According to the United States Attorney's Office, Davis sold drugs on several occasions to an FBI cooperating witness between January and March.

Davis, 38, pled guilty to one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically alprazolam, zolpidem and carisoprodol. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.

The once long-shot Libertarian candidate is perhaps best known for claiming to have gotten call girls for former Gov. Eliot Spitzer before a prostitution scandal forced him from office. But the claims have never been proven.

Davis' bids for office have openly capitalized on her notoriety, her allegations about Spitzer and her made-for-reality-TV persona. But she has said she plunged into politics to promote personal freedoms — in her view, that includes legalizing and taxing marijuana and decriminalizing prostitution — and to provide competition for what she sees as career politicians.

She drew a credible 20,429 votes for her Anti-Prohibition Party in the 2010 governor's race; a party needs at least 50,000 votes in the governor's race to be guaranteed a spot on ballots.

Before she was arrested, Davis was running for New York City comptroller against Spitzer and former Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who went on to win the election.

Police are launching an investigation after a pony was found dead along Route 262.

Some inmates on work release with the state Department of Transportation were cleaning up the area when they made the gruesome discovery this week, according to Assistant Plymouth Police Chief Robert Wright.

The Shetland pony had been dismembered, according to police. The remains were found in five trash bags that appeared to have been thrown in one spot from the road.

Officials said they do not know how the animal died.

Police said the department and animal control have received several leads on who might have owned the pony, but those leads have not panned out.

If you have information about the case, you can reach police at 860-589-7779. The number to animal control is 860-585-4051.
 

Who brought a skunk to a vet in West Hartford?

The West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District and West Hartford Animal Control officers are trying to locate a woman who brought a skunk to Veterinary Specialists at 993 North Main Street in West Hartford between 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The animal was euthanized and tested positive for rabies, according to the Hartford Courant.

Anyone with information about the person who brought the skunk to the vet is asked to call West Hartford police at 860-523-5203.

The man who police said caused the crash that closed Route 8 North in Ansonia for hours will be responsible for the cleanup costs, according to the state Department of Transportation.

State police said Chris Roche, 38, of Fairfield, was driving when he somehow lost control of his pickup and hit a guardrail on Thursday.

He was hauling a box trailer carrying 55-gallon drums of silicone-based foam insulation, according to officials from the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

At least one of the drums was leaking after the crash. As temperatures dropped, the material hardened on the road.

Roche had permits for the materials, but the chemical posed a significant health risk by both inhalation or by skin contact, according to DEEP. 

No injuries were reported. Crews were brought in to clean up the chemicals and mill the road, which took several hours.

How much he will have to pay was not clear on Friday afternoon.

Initial test results have revealed why a Tampa family mysteriously fell ill earlier this week: they ate steak contaminated with LSD.

The family bought the meat from a local Walmart, which has been very cooperative with investigators and has turned over all of the bottom round steak that was on their shelves at the time, Tampa Police said Friday in a news release.

It was not immediately clear how the steak that Ronnie Morales, 24, his girlfriend Jessica Rosado, 31, and her 7-year-old and 6-year-old daughters ate Monday night became contaminated with LSD. Test results provided Friday showed the presence of the hallucinogenic drug, police said.

Morales, 24, felt sick soon after eating dinner at 2744 Bel Aire Circle and called 911. But he felt so ill that Rosado, who was 9 months pregnant, drove him to St. Joseph's Hospital. That's when she felt sick and was rushed across the street to St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and was induced into labor, police said.

Shortly thereafter, her daughters Elyana, 7, and Rayna, 6, began hallucinating and felt ill as well. Both girls and Morales were given tracheal intubations and were hospitalized, according to police.

They were released from the hospital in good condition two days later, on Wednesday.

Rosado, who gave birth to a boy, was released with her healthy son on Thursday, police said.

Authorities are still waiting for toxicology test results that were taken from the family members. Those are expected in the next three weeks, police said.

The meat was purchased at the Walmart at 1501 N. Dale Mabry Highway, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office is testing all of the steak that the store turned over, police added.

"Like everyone else in the community, we are deeply disturbed about this situation and are taking it very seriously," Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee said in a statement. "We want answers and we're committed to working with officials to get to the bottom of this."

She said it was unclear where the food was tampered with, or how.

"We know our customers expect safe, quality food and we require our suppliers to meet the highest of food safety standards," Gee said.

Tampa Police detectives, the federal and Florida departments of agriculture and the Hillsborough County Health Department are investigating the LSD case. It appears to be an isolated incident, police said.

Police say a woman's co-worker accidentally shot her Friday morning at a thrift store in Chicago's South Side Washington Heights neighborhood.

Police initially said 54-year-old Maria Carmen Dominguez was fatally shot in the chest when she and the male co-worker were sorting through clothing in a back room, and when he shook a sock from the sorting pile, a gun fell onto the floor and discharged.

But police now say the .22 caliber handgun fell into the man's hand and then fired. However, they're still considering it accidental.

It happened around 10 a.m. inside Unique Thrift Store in the 9300 block of South Ashland Avenue.

"It's tragic," Dominguez's husband, Victor Campos, said. "We don't know what we are going to do."

"So sad, so sad," said Barbara Paradise, a regular customer at the store. "It breaks my heart. That's why I came back, because I knew her."
 
Campos said Dominguez worked for the company for 25 years.

"I can't believe it," Campos said. "We have a 17-year-old daughter. She's in high school, and she doesn't know what is going on."

Dominguez leaves behind two children, a son in his 30s and a 17-year-old daughter.

The Department of Labor said they are investigating this incident as an accident.
 

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared Friday that achieving equality for women and girls is "the great unfinished business of the 21st century."

The potential 2016 presidential candidate galvanized the U.N. commemoration of International Women's Day, repeating her resounding declaration as first lady at the 1995 U.N. women's conference in Beijing that "human rights are women's rights — and women's rights are human rights."

Clinton said that important progress has been made, citing the increasing number of girls in school and women in elected office, and the repeal of many discriminatory laws.

"Yet for all we have achieved together, this remains the great unfinished business of the 21st century," she said.

In the nearly two decades since Beijing, Clinton said, "no country in the world has achieved full participation, and women and girls still comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unfed and unpaid."

She called for greater opportunities for women and girls and urged the U.N. to include gender equality at the forefront of its new goals to promote development.

"When women succeed the world succeeds," Clinton said. "When women and girls thrive, entire societies thrive. Just as women's rights are human rights, women's progress is human progress."

Clinton said the goals must ensure that women everywhere have the right to find a job, to own and inherit property, to have a valid and legal identity, to have gender parity in primary and secondary education, and help end violence against women and child brides.

She stressed that there can be no progress "without safeguarding women's reproductive health and rights," saying the platform agreed to by 179 countries at the 1994 U.N. population conference in Cairo which ensures these rights "must be the starting point for work today."

"If we get it right, we can put the world on the path to less poverty and more prosperity, less inequality and more opportunity," Clinton said.

Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, head of UN Women, drew loud applause from representatives of the 193 U.N. member states and women's rights supporters when she echoed Clinton, declaring: "The 21st century offers an opportunity for a big leap forward — not baby steps. We've done baby steps."

She said she was also repeating Clinton's declaration from Beijing on women's rights "because equality between men and women remains an elusive dream."

"The face of poverty is that of a woman," she said. "The majority of the world's poor and illiterate are women and girls."

Mlambo Ngcuka announced a new "He For She" campaign and called on the world's fathers, sons, husbands and brothers to stand up and support equality for women in all areas of life.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also made "a special appeal to the men and boys of the world" to join the conversation about women's rights including reproductive rights, women's empowerment, and ending violence against women.

"Where men and women have equal rights, societies prosper," Ban said. "Equality for women is progress for all."

A man is in police custody after a young woman told her mother that he sexually assaulted her while babysitting her in New London.

Erik Walton, of Waterbury, was taken in custody by the Waterbury Police before being transported to the New London Police Department where he is being held on charges of Sexual Assault and Risk of Injury to a minor.

Police received the complaint on December 27, 2013, when the mother of the young female victim told them that her daughter said Walton forced her to perform sexual acts on him while he was babysitting her.

The victim says this happened on two separate occasions in their New London Home in November and December of 2013.

Walton is being held on a $200,000 bond.

With less than a month til opening day, the New Britain Rockcats are welcoming fans into their home for a one-of-a-kind baseball experience.

The annual "Fanfest," will run today from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at New Britain Stadium, 230 John Karbonic Way.

Fans are invited to have their picture taken in the dugout and audition to sing the National Anthem before a regular season game.

Inflatable games and arts and crafts will be on hand as well as a chance to meet Rocky, the Rock Cat's mascot. The festivities include free food and drinks.

The Rock Cats open the 2014 season at home on April 3 at 6:35 p.m. against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Three teenagers allegedly solicited photos of naked teenage girls to post on Instagram, according to Prince William County, Va., police.

An investigation revealed a 15-year-old girl who attends Cecil Hylton High School in Woodbridge, a 14-year-old Woodbridge boy in a special computer training program and a 13-year-old boy who attends Stone Wall Middle School in Manassas created several Instagram accounts on which they posted 50 pictures they obtained of naked girls from multiple schools, police said.

Police immediately shut down the accounts and identified the owners. Each is charged with one count of computer harassment.

None of the pictures was taken with or posted with school equipment or on school property, police said.

 A UConn student says she was forced into a night of heavy drinking and ended up in the hospital.

Hillary Holt says when she woke up in a hospital bed, she found out her blood alcohol level had reached nearly three times the legal limit.

"I could have been dead this morning if I did not end up at the hospital," said Holt.

The UConn sophomore said it all went down at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon off-campus fraternity house Thursday night where she was led to a room and saw three girls blindfolded.

"It went from a happy moment to very scary in a matter of seconds," said Holt. "I knew as soon as I entered the room I was going to be hazed.

Holt accuses members of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity of forcing her and other girls to drink.

"We had to lay on the floor and sizzle like bacon, hold our ankles, jump up and down," said Holt. "If we did it right we had to drink. If we did it wrong we had to drink."

Holt says she was afraid what would happen to her if she tried to get away and eventually blacked out.

NBC Connecticut reached out to the local Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter but did not hear back. The national organization told us they are investigating and that the organization does not condone hazing and takes these allegations very seriously.

We went to the fraternity where the incident allegedly took place but no one wanted to talk.

In a statement the university said, "UConn is aware of these serious allegations and has started an internal investigation to determine whether any student or students may have violated the university's Code of Conduct."

Since the incident allegedly took place off campus, State Police are also investigating.

"People need to be aware that it can happen to you because I was one of those girls who didn't think it would happen," said Holt.

Holt's family is hiring an attorney and they say they'll more than likely file a lawsuit against the university, the sorority, and fraternity.

Police arrested a driver involved in a serious crash that closed Route 44 in Canton on Friday night.

The road was closed in both directions near the intersection of Old Albany Turnpike for several hours.

According to police, Alex Ponomarov, 44, of Canton, tried to turn off of Route 44 and onto Old Albany Turnpike, striking a vehicle coming in the other direction around 6:20 p.m.

The driver of the second car and two children were taken to the hospital.  The driver of a third car damaged in the crash was also taken to the hospital, according to police.  All of the injuries appeared to be non-life threatening, police said.

A witness told police Ponomarov was operating his vehicle erratically.  Ponomarov was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to call Canton police at 860-693-0221.

A Windsor Locks police sergeant is suing the state, claiming he was falsely arrested in connection with a fatal crash his son caused.

Attorneys for Robert Koistinen filed the suit in January. Among the claims in the suit are that witness statements that the teenage victim killed in the crash was drifting into travel lanes and appeared drunk by the way he was riding his bike were not included in an affidavit.

Robert Koistinen’s son, Michael Koistinen was off-duty just before midnight on Oct. 29, 2010, after a night of drinking, when he and hit Henry Dang, 15, as the teen was riding his bike, according to police.

Michael Koistinen pleaded no contest to charges connected to the death and was sentenced to five years and four months. Michael Koistinen was never given a breathalyzer or blood alcohol test after the crash.

Robert Koistinen was one of the first officers at the scene of the crash and was accused of taking his son away from the scene of the crash. He was charged with hindering prosecution in the investigation into the crash and has been found not guilty.

Witnesses said Sgt. Koistinen did not search for an object that his son had thrown from the vehicle just after the crash. It turned out to be a broken beer glass with beer still in it.

The lawsuit says Sgt. Koistinen did conduct a search, found nothing, and then local police were told not to take part in the search to avoid any perception of conflict.

He also denied that he discouraged any police officer from speaking with his son.

Robert Koistinen was on paid leave after the crash and was fired in 2012. Later that year, he was acquitted on all charges.

In February 2014, the state Labor Board ruled Robert Koistinen should get his job back.

In the suit, Koistinen maintains he followed customary practice during the investigation.

It goes on to state that sworn affidavits from investigators contain “many material omissions and misrepresentations” and falsely stated that there was probable cause to charge Koistinen with hindering prosecution.

The lawsuit also alleges an affidavit failed to include a witness statement from someone who said “he saw the bicycle drifting into the westbound lane of travel” and another witness who said her first impression was that the bicyclist must be drunk based on the matter in which he was operating his bike.

The suit states Robert Koistinen is looking for money damages, actual damages, dignatory damages, punitive damages, as well as attorney fees and costs.

Crews are responding to a structure fire on Simons Pond Road in the area of Cobb City Road in Colebrook.

The Norfolk Fire Department is providing mutual aid.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates. 

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Two people received minor injuries in a rollover crash on Route 9 southbound in New Britain on Wednesday afternoon, according to police.

Police said a car driven by Jeffrey Ziegenhagen of Plainville was traveling southbound when Ziegenhagen lost control and struck a metal guardrail, spinning across both lanes of the highway.

A Buick driven by Ernesto Arocho collided with Ziegenhagen's car, according to police.

Ziegenhagen received cuts on his heads and head and reported having back and neck pain. Arocho reported having rib pain after the crash, police said.

The highway was shut down between exits 30 and 29 while crews worked to clear the scene.

Traffic was heavily delayed after the highway reopened.

Friends and family came together to remember a New Haven man days after he was killed in Rhode Island.

"We've had Satchel's friends flying in from all over the country, and it's really sweet. It's a testament to how beautiful and sweet and peaceful and amazing my brother was," said Teresa Ramos.

They joined at Crown East Billards Friday night to remember and pay tribute to Satchel Ramos the night before his funeral.

"Satchel and I are very close in age and most of the memories I have in my life are with Satchel, and I don't have any memories before him," said Teresa.

Teresa says having the support of her brother's friends means a lot during this difficult time.

"Satch was so smart and such a beautiful, gentle soul that it's heartbreaking to think of his last moments in life," said Teresa.

It was in Providence, RI where police say the 22-year-old was stabbed to death while trying to break up a fight. His older brother Clyde was also injured. The news shocked many in his hometown.

Satchel's dad, Rafael Ramos, spent years working with New Haven's Livable City Initiative, and at Friday night's gathering he sat down to play the congas, something his son loved to do.

"We're trying to have a celebration of life. We don't want to make this a sad moment as depressing as it is for all of us," said Teresa. "We're trying to make it a happy moment."

After the terrible news many of Satchel's friends got tattoos in his memory, and his sister says she'll honor Satchel by traveling because that's what he wanted to do.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I see everything so that he sees everything because I know he's with us," said Teresa.

Police have charged Eric Souza of Massachusetts with the murder and expect more arrests will be made.

Commercial drones are evidently allowed in America after a judge ruled in favor of a drone pilot fined by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to PandoDaily.

The FAA had fined the Virginia man for "recklessly" operating a drone near a university campus, the newspaper reported, but a judge overturned the fine and gave tacit approval for commercial drones to fill the skies.

The FAA has appealed the ruling to the National Transportation Safety Board, which means that drones could be fined if they flew for now, the Web site reported.

However, if the ruling stands, it would help commercial enterprises that have already planned to deliver via drones, according to reports.

The referee of a youth hockey game is facing charges after physically escorting a player off the ice, causing parents to go after him, police said.

The incident unfolded around 4 p.m. Saturday at the Champions Ice Rink at 6 Progress Drive in Cromwell.

Police said Stephen Levins, 55, of Rocky Hill, was refereeing a hockey match for players ages 13 and 14 when he called a match penalty, requiring one player to leave the ice.

Other players on the ice at the time say that the player asked to leave got mad and tried to take it out on the ref.

"There was a face-off and then the player got made so he took a shot at the ref's head with the puck," said Tyler Humel of Terryville.

Police said Levins then physically escorted the player off the ice, upsetting parents and teammates.

Parents tried to climb onto the ice to get to Levins, and concerned spectators called 911.

The players on the ice were then taken into the locker room so they didn't see the rest of the physical altercation unfold.

Levins was arrested and charged with breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor.