Funeral services will be held this week for Kristjan Ndoj, a 15-year-old Shelton High School student who was shot after riding his bike to a friend's house in a quiet residential neighborhood.

Visiting hours will be held on on Wednesday, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the chapel of the Spinelli-Ricciuti/Bednar-Osiecki Funeral Home at 62 Beaver Street in Ansonia.

The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday at St. Joseph’s Church, 50 Fairmont Place in Shelton.

Ndoj's classmates have been in mourning, trying to cope with the violent death.

"I walk into fourth period and I don't see him, and it's just an empty seat now," Janaya Morris said.

In dealing with the tragedy, students are already looking to assist others by filling a bulletin board with the random acts of kindness done in his memory.

"It's still showing that he was somebody and not just nothing in this world," Morris said.

Contributions can be made to Kristjan's family.

Metro-North plans to hold six informal meetings during which commuters can raise questions, concerns and suggestions to railroad management, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The forums will be held as follows:

• March 26 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Grand Central Station
• April 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at White Plains Station
• April 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stamford Station across from the ticket office
• May 1 from 7 to 9 a.m. at Grand Central Terminal main concourse
• May 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Croton-Harmon Station near the ticket office, north overpass
• May 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the eastbound platform of Harrison Station

New Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti will attend the forums, according to a release from the DOT.

The forums are part of an effort to increase transparency and improve communication between Metro-North and its customers and are included in Giulietti's 100-day plan.

Police are investigating the armed robberies of two Enfield establishments over the weekend and believe they might be related.

According to police, a man wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt, black ski masks and gloves entered the Four Corners Package Store at 229 Post Office Road around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. He indicated that he had a gun and demanded money from the clerk.

The suspect left via the front door and was seen getting into a tan SUV, police said. He’s described as standing 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighing between 170 and 175 pounds.

Police said a man matching this description robbed a Dunkin Donuts at 545 Hazard Avenue the following night. He displayed a black and silver pistol but left without taking money after the clerk ran to the back of the store.

No one was injured in the robberies.

Police believe the incidents are connected and are reviewing surveillance footage as part of the investigation.

Chicago Transit Authority union president Robert Kelly says the operator of a Blue Line train that derailed at O'Hare early Monday may have dozed off.

Kelly says early indications show this may explain why the eight-car train jumped the tracks and landed on the stairs and escalators leading to the airport terminals just before 3 a.m.

"The indication is there, yes," Kelly said about whether the operator dozed off. "She has worked a lot of hours in the past weekend, and the indication is there."

According to Kelly, the female train operator had 17 hours off between her shifts.

At a news conference Monday, National Transportation Safety Board signal specialist Tim Depaepe said the motorman started her shift at about 8:40 p.m. Sunday.

• PHOTOS: CTA train derailment at O'Hare

"When she is released, we will make arrangements to interview her and find out what happened from her point of view," DePaepe said.

Kelly said the operator, who has been employed with the CTA for about a year, will be interviewed by the NTSB on Tuesday.

The train operator was walking, talking and answering questions afterward, fire officials said. She was taken to the hospital with injuries to her leg and later released.

"It's unfortunate that this happened," Kelly said. "It's not 100 percent [clear] exactly what happened and how all this was caused."

Thirty-two people were injured in the crash, none seriously.

• NTSB: "The Train is Not Going to Go Anywhere"

Armed with $64,000 in a state grant to prevent youth violence, officials in Middletown are putting some of the money toward the city's first gun buyback.

"Anyone selling a gun will have a chance to choose between a gift card from our downtown business district or a gift card to a local grocery store," said Bobbye Knoll Peterson of the North End Action Team. 

Police will host the buyback from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, behind the police department off Dingwall Drive in Middletown.

"We'll ask that the weapons are unloaded, chambers open, and if it's a revolver have the action open," said Capt. Sean Moriarty, adding that handguns will go for $50 and long guns for $100.

Of the grant money, $7,200 has been budgeted for the buyback. Funding will also go toward training teachers in what Rep. Matt Lesser called "mental health first aid."

"We're also dealing with a critical issue that we have in Middletown, which is safe, healthy relationships, knowing that a lot of violence isn't between strangers but within the confines of a romantic relationship," Lesser said.

He explained that the grant to Middletown was part of the state government's response to the Sandy Hook shootings.

Three people are facing charges after police pulled over their car in New Haven and found a stolen handgun and marijuana inside.

According to police, Maxine Nixon, 24, of Hamden; Tyler Sykes, 24, of New Haven; and Travis Stroud, 21, of New Haven were driving on Chapel Street in New Haven the afternoon of March 22 when Nixon, the driver, turned onto North Street without signaling.

A license plate scan revealed that the Acura was uninsured and its registration had been suspended, police said.

Nixon reportedly failed to provide an insurance card, and the smell of marijuana wafted through the open window, according to police. Sykes, the front-seat passenger, admitted to hiding the drug underneath the passenger seat.

Officers searched the car and found a loaded 9 mm handgun on the driver’s side floor. Police said the gun was stolen from Waynesboro, Ga. in 2009.

Stroud, a convicted felon who was sitting in the backseat, was reportedly found with seven bags of marijuana in his pocket.

Nixon, Sykes and Stroud all had access to the gun, police said.

All three were arrested and charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm.

Nixon was additionally charged with three motor vehicle offenses.

Sykes was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Stroud was additionally charged with criminal possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.

Three people have been taken to Bristol Hospital as a precaution after a fire at 375 Main Street in Bristol.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene around 1 p.m. Monday.

The fire is under investigation.

A huge ocean storm brewing will miss us, and hit to the east, but it will bring about 3 inches of snow to the east and flurries to the west in Connecticut between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Today, we are dealing with very cold weather, hopefully for the last time this Spring! Wind chills are in the single digits this morning and today’s high temperatures will be some of the coldest highs for this date ever. 

• CHECK THE FORECAST HERE

We are also watching the forecast data that shows a huge storm developing off the Carolina coastline early tomorrow and slamming Cape Cod and down east Maine.

As we’ve been indicating all weekend, the forecast models suggest, and we are forecasting, “fringe effects” from this monster storm. 

Right now we are looking for snow developing later Tuesday afternoon or evening and lasting into the wee hours of Wednesday.

Accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible, especially in the eastern and southeastern Connecticut.

Only flurries will fall in western sections of the state.

Temperatures will start turning milder Thursday and will top 60 on Saturday!

SEE IT, SHARE IT

When you see snow, snap a photo and send it to us. Email it to us at shareit@nbcconnecticut.com or upload it here.
 

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an independent audit of the San Diego Police Department after allegations of sexual misconduct by uniformed officers.

The audit is expected to look at both the professional and personal aspects of the police department. It will examine the department's hiring process, the supervision of officers and the process in place to detect misconduct, as well as staffing levels, salaries and vehicle locator records.

Former San Diego Chief William Lansdowne had asked for an outside audit on the department after allegations surfaced of uniformed officers giving women improper pat downs and exposing themselves to women.

At a media briefing Monday, newly appointed Chief of Police Shelley Zimmerman said she in full support of the audit.

“It takes years of hard work to build the trust of our community and in just seconds, that trust can start to erode away all those years of hard work,” Zimmerman said.

“(This is) a positive step forward in identifying issues and finding remedies for any shortcomings that may exist," U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said at the briefing. "More importantly, it’s a positive step forward in rebuilding the crucial relationship of trust and of confidence between the officers of the San Diego Police Department and those they are sworn to serve."

According to Duffy, the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Police Services, or COPS, will perform the audit. The audit will focus on overall misconduct with an emphasis on sexual misconduct among on-duty officers.

“When misconduct does occur, it’s our collective responsibility to act swiftly and demand accountability and correct the situation,” said Associate Attorney General Tony West.

Duffy said the San Diego Police Department volunteered to undergo the audit.

"I wanted to reassure residents and police officers that their assessment would be thorough, fair and independent," said COPS Director Ron Davis, adding that COPS representatives have already met with Zimmerman, Mayor Kevin Faulconer's office and other key stakeholders.

In deciding to come to San Diego, Davis said COPS looked at three primary factors: That lessons learned will benefit the entire law enforcement officer profession, the city and police leadership demonstrated a strong commitment to organizational reform and that the city and SDPD must embrace core principals and seek to become model.

The audit will be paid for with federal grant money at no cost to the city.

• Special Section: Trouble Behind the Badge

Christopher Hays, 30, was booked Feb. 9 on two felony counts of false imprisonment with violence and three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. Hours after his arraignment, he resigned from the department saying he was not guilty and felt betrayed by the department.

Officer Donald Moncrief, 39, is accused of touching a woman inappropriately during an arrest in the South Bay last year and allegedly exposing himself to the woman. Moncrief has not been formally charged.

Former police officer Anthony Arevalos is currently serving prison time for sexual battery and false imprisonment charges he committed while in uniform as a police officer patrolling the Gaslamp from 2009 to 2011.

• Read: Timeline - SDPD Officers Accused of Sex Crimes

“Unfortunately, over these last few years, some of our officers have made the terrible decision to discredit our badge and dishonor our noble profession," Chief Zimmerman said Monday. "Not only do I but our entire department feels terrible about this misconduct.”

“We are not going to tolerate this misconduct and betrayal of our badge and our profession,” she added.

Auditors will review three misconduct cases from the last three years.

The audit is expected to take six to eight months to complete, then COPS will release its findings to the public. COPS will also perform outreach activities to get community input and feedback, according to Davis.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney have also launched a separate criminal investigation into what City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said is "case specific, meaning it will focus on conduct rather than an assessment or process."

Goldsmith did not release any information about the specifics of the alleged criminal activity.

A civil lawsuit filed by Arevalos' victim claims the department did not do enough to control Arevalos and prevent the misconduct.

"Is this separate 'bad apples' that have caused a problem, or is this endemic to the San Diego police culture that allows this to occur?" asked Arevalos' criminal attorney Gretchen von Helms. "We don't know the answer to that yet."

Attorneys for Jane Doe, a top witness in the criminal case against Arevalos, released a statement after details of the audit were announced. They say recommendations from an audit are not enough and that they would prefer an outside monitor inside the police department.

Just over a week after formal charges were filed against Hays, Chief Lansdowne announced his retirement after 10 years as top cop. In an interview with NBC 7 on Feb. 17, Lansdowne said he wanted to stay on the job and see the department through the scandal.

Newly elected Mayor Kevin Faulconer vowed to make the troubles plaguing the SDPD his top priority.

There's just one week to go for open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act.

March 31 is the final day for individuals to sign up on the state exchange without being subjected to a penalty of $95 per person, or 1 percent of your income, whichever is higher.

Tony DiPace, the owner of a small business in Enfield, recently enrolled after his son had to have surgery.

"I got a phone call saying my deductible for his surgery was $3,000," DiPace said.

He decided enough was enough. DiPace said he wanted to see what else was out there so he went on the state health insurance exchange and found a plan that worked for him.

"Actually much better coverage," said DiPace. "I'm saving $1200 a month and I've got much better coverage."

DiPace said he was surprised how easy it was to enroll after hearing about problems on the news.

Connecticut officials are making a big push in this final week to reach out to people who haven't yet signed up.

"If you're not enrolled by March 31, you won't be able to enroll until Nov. 15," said Larease Royes, manager of the Access Health CT store in New Britain.

As of last week, more than 165,000 people had enrolled through the state exchange. Of those, 102,000 received Medicaid coverage and 62,000 enrolled in private insurance.

While some remain skeptical of the new law, DiPace said he sees the benefits.

"I think it's going to help the overall economy because the more money people keep in their pockets, the more money they will have to do what they want to do," he said.

With the rise of social media and the Internet, bullying has taken a new form. Instead of face-to-face encounters, teenagers are being bullied online.

Many teens say cyberbullying often goes unreported because victims are afraid to speak up.

Creators of a new app are hoping to change that. STOPit provides a way for teens to seek help.

On the app's website, stopitcyberbully.com, founder Todd Schobel writes, "Not long ago I heard a radio interview about a young girl who was viciously bullied, primarily through social media posts. She committed suicide. As I listened, my heart stopped beating for what felt like an eternity. I couldn't breathe. Tears flowed, and my life has never been the same. This should never happen to children, and I had to help. The idea for STOPit was born."

According to the site, the STOPit app has four main features: the "Stop It" button, which forwards offensive material to trusted adults and officials, the "Help It" button which provides support, the "Friend It" button which allows teens to anonymously report cyberbullying to adults, and the "Report It" button, which helps with documenting offenses.

Parents said they support the app, explaining that it will provide teens with the tools to make a difference.

“They don't tell their parents. They tell their friends, and their friends don't do anything. So if it's something where they can report it and they can talk about it with somebody who can help them it's way better,” said Alexandra Flores, a mom from New Haven.

The app, which costs about $4, is available for individuals to buy. According to the site, it's also available for school districts to purchase.

A judge on Monday denied bail for former NFL safety Darren Sharper, who is accused of drugging and raping two women he met at a West Hollywood nightclub.

Since Sharper's arrest in January, the Miami resident has been accused of raping women in Nevada, Louisiana and Arizona.

Sharper is accused of drugging 11 women in four states, and raping seven of them, officials said. In February, prosecutors pushed to have Sharper's bail raised to $10 million.

• Download the FREE NBCLA News app

He is due back in court April 15.

Prosecutors said last month that Sharper met two women at a West Hollywood nightclub on Oct. 30, 2013, and invited them to another party. On the way, Sharper allegedly told them he had to stop by his Los Angeles hotel room and invited both women up, officials said.

While there, he allegedly gave each woman alcohol with zolpidem and morphine, prosecutors said.
The women passed out.

One of them allegedly woke up naked hours later with Sharper sexually assaulting her, officials said.

The second woman allegedly awoke and “interrupted his actions,” prosecutors said.

• Attorneys for Ex-NFL Player Accused of Rape to Argue for Release From LA Jail

The two women then left the hotel.

On Jan. 14, Sharper met two separate women at the same West Hollywood nightclub and invited them to a party, prosecutors said.

Stopping at his hotel, he allegedly invited both up to his room, offered them a shot, and each passed out.

When they woke up hours later on Jan. 15, one woman believed she’d been sexually assaulted.
Both women left his hotel and sought medical treatment.

• Ex-NFL Star Darren Sharper Faces New Rape Charges

He was arrested Jan. 17 and released on $200,000 bail.

If convicted in the Los Angeles case, Sharper could face up to 30 years in prison. His lawyer believes Sharper will be "fully exonerated."

The 38-year-old played for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and the New Orelans Saints during a 14-year NFL career.

Route 67 is closed near Hogs Back Road in Oxford following a one-car crash, according to state police.

Police said the accident happened around 10:45 p.m. Monday.

The road is expected to remain closed for another half hour until the tow truck arrives, police said.

There has been no word on injuries. 

A Middletown firefighter received a warm welcome today after returning home from a nine-month deployment to Kuwait.

Almost a year ago, Sgt. First Class Ryan Parmelee headed to the Middle Eastern country with the Third Medical Command of the U.S. Army Reserve.

Middletown’s South Fire District formally welcomed him home in a ceremony held at noon Monday.

"There's definitely the brotherhood in service in the fire department and police department just like being in the military, being in the armed services," Parmelee said at his sendoff in April.

The deployment was his sixth overseas tour and second combat tour.

A deadly crash that killed a Norwich firefighter has now led to a lawsuit. The suit targets the owners of a gas station, claiming it did nothing to prevent the accused driver, Willis Goodale, from driving under the influence.

According to the lawsuit, Goodale had been living in his car at the station parking lot and was visibly abusing drugs and alcohol.

In March of 2012, 33-year-old d Benjamin DeMond was killed and his two young boys, Alexander and Nichola, were injured when they were hit by Goodale on I-395 in Montville.

Two years later, DeMond's sons are still recovering.
 
"There's not a day they still don't come by and mention and talk about their father," said attorney Mark Griffin who represents several of the victims involved in the crash.
 
Police say Willis Goodale left the Montville Mobile Mart intoxicated. While crossing the southbound lanes of 395 for an emergency vehicle turnaround, police say his Jeep struck the Nissan, forcing it into opposing traffic where it was hit head-on by an oncoming car.
 
Goodale remains in jail facing a slew of charges, and now the victims say the station, which sits across the way from a state police barrack, needed to do more.
 
"One phone call is all that had to be made during that period of two weeks leading up to the accident," said Griffin.
 
Griffin says Goodale has been living in his car at the station, and that the night of the crash Goodale stayed there for hours drinking.
 
The several hundred page lawsuit takes aim at Project Service, which is responsible for the mart.
 
"The State of Connecticut put upon Project Services the obligation to maintain these service stations in a safe manner," said Griffin.
 
We reached out to Project Services but did not hear back.
 
Griffin says even after multiple surgeries, Alexander and Christopher, who are now eight and six, are still fighting an uphill battle.
 
"One phone call and this entire episode could have been averted," said Griffin.
 
Griffin also represents the victims in the criminal case. Goodale is due in court next month, and Griffin hopes some sort of plea deal can be reached.
 

Middle school sports are on the chopping block in Torrington, but there are plenty of people in town who don't want to see them go, including several members of the Board of Education.

Middle school athletics make up a quarter of one percent of the school budget, but they're getting far more than their share of attention these days.

At tonight's special budget committee public hearing, residents, teachers and board members voiced their frustration with the superintendent's 72.5 million dollar spending plan for 2014-15.

The plan doesn't allocate the 100 thousand dollars needed for a middle school sports program. Board Vice Chair Fiona Cappabianca says the budget has very little wiggle room.

"Between contractual obligations, mandated special education cost, there's very little discretionary money left, so choices have to be made," says Cappabianca.

Many who came to the hearing did so in support of keeping the balls bouncing in the middle school gym, including basketball player, Ray Rodriguez.

"Playing a school sport is part of your childhood, and you shouldn't have to wait until high school to play and it's really sad with obesity in America," says Rodriguez.

Fitness is just one benefit says Cheryl Petersen.

"They really like getting into sports. it does help them lot and keeps them geared into a better student," says the mother of a 6th and 8th grader.

Fiona Cappabianca says she and her fellow board members are effectively in a no win situation.

"We don't want to lay off teachers and we don't want our middle schoolers out after school with nothing to do," says the Vicve Chair.

The board of education did take a straw poll tonight they do not support the elimination of sports in the middle school.

The board reconvenes Wednesday night for another special meeting and the budget is on the agenda.
 

New Haven police are investigating a shooting that killed a 17-year-old boy and critically injured his 16-year-old half-brother near an elementary school in the area of Butler and Lilac streets last night.

The two teens were shot around 9 p.m. on Monday and were found lying on the sidewalk near Lincoln Bassett Elementary School.

Police said 17-year-old Taijhon Washington, 17, of New Haven, was killed. They have not released the 16-year-old's name because he is a juvenile, but said he lives in Hamden.

Both victims were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where Washington was pronounced dead, according to police.

"He was caring; he was always around when you needed him," said Hamden High School student Michelle Rotino, of Washington. "He was always that shoulder to cry on."

Rotino said the high school held a moment of silence this morning to honor Washington.

The 16-year-old is in critical condition at the hospital.

"I know [Taijhon] and his brother got along really well," said Rotino. "I knew that they were both pretty much the same type of person."

Authorities received the report of a third victim and followed evidence to an apartment on Newhall Street, where they found a 73-year-old man who had been assaulted.

Police initially believed the two attacks might have been connected but said Tuesday that they seem to be unrelated.

"We believe now that this was separate," said New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman, of the assault on the 73-year-old man. "It's improbable that this is connected, other than coincidentally, this is an elderly man who was either assaulted or mugged in that same area."

Police said they are investigating to determine whether the crimes are connected, but the likelihood that they are has lessened.

The assault victim was not shot and received minor, non-life threatening injuries, according to police.

Police have not determined a motive for the shootings or made any arrests.

"We can't discuss the investigation other than to say we are following some leads," said Hartman. "We have not identified a particular suspect or suspects in this."

Anyone with information is asked to call New Haven police at 203-946-6304.

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Four people were taken to the hospital after a car exiting Interstate 95 south in Fairfield lost control and struck a gas station and several other cars at the bottom of the ramp, emergency officials said.

Police said 30-year-old Rosa Blanca Chavarria Medina was taking the exit 24 ramp too quickly and her car went airborne, slamming into a column at the Cumberland Farms at 975 Kings Highway East and catching fire.

Medina had a suspended license and was intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to police.

"This is a really horrific scene," said Fairfield police spokesman Lt. James Perez. "The damage is tremendous."

Fire officials said three other vehicles were damaged, as was the Cumberland Farms building.

Emergency responders had to extricate Blanca Chavarria Medina. She was the only person in that vehicle.

A Good Samaritan extinguished the fire with an extinguisher from the gas station, police said.

None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.