A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Sacramento was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Nebraska on Sunday after a passenger reportedly tried to make an abrupt mid-air exit.

Joshua Carl Lee Suggs, of Sacramento, was charged Monday with interfering with flight crew. He's expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Video recorded by a producer from NBC station KCRA in Sacramento shows authorities removing Suggs from flight 722 after the pilots put the plane down at Eppley Airfield in Omaha.

Witnesses said they heard screaming coming from the back of the plane. A flight attendant was yelling "Help me! Help me!" as the man attempted to jump out of the plane through a rear door.

A doctor and other passengers reacted.

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"I ran to the back of the plane. At that point in time I was joined by about two other people," Dr. Scott Porter said. "We basically tackled the -- I don't want to say gentleman -- but the guy who was back there and pinned him down and restrained him."

Another passenger, Monique Lawler, told KABC-TV in Los Angeles that she saw Suggs acting strangely during the flight. At one point he came out of the bathroom soaking wet, she said.

The flight with five crew members and 134 passengers arrived safely in Sacramento about two hours behind schedule, the airline said in a statement.

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No injuries were reported.

Route 66 in Columbia is closed in both directions at Cards Mill Road after a car struck a pole.

No injuries are reported. Connecticut Light & Power is repairing the pole.

No information was immediately available on when the road will reopen.

Students at New Haven public schools are on vacation this week for April break, but six schools will remain open so that young people have somewhere to go to be safe.

This is part of the city’s broader plan to keep youth positively engaged and safe in the wake of recent gun violence that killed two New Haven teens, Taijhon Washington, 17, and Torrence Gamble, 16.

Washington was killed in a shooting near Lincoln Bassett Elementary School in New Haven last month.

Earlier this month, Gamble, a student of Riverside Academy, was shot in the head on Daggett Street in New Haven.

After the shootings, Mayor Toni Harp said she planned to have teachers, coaches and church leaders go door to door and talk to families to gain a better understanding of how to help New Haven teens.

The schools to remain open, Monday through Thursday, include the Wexler-Grant School, Hillhouse High School, Ross-Woodward School, Troup School, Martinez School and Clemente Leadership Academy. They will be open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

City and school officials said programs offered at the schools during vacation week will range from Parks and Recreation Department-sponsored sports and activities to workshops facilitated by local community organizations committed job training, youth empowerment and nonviolence.

Hot dinners will also be provided at the schools.

In addition to giving students a safe place to be, the schools will also be a place where youths can eat a hot meal and engage in positive activities.



 

Armed robbers held an employee of The Pit Stop Gas Station/Convenience Store in Wallingford at gunpoint late Sunday night and stole cigarettes and cash, police said.

The armed robbery happened at The Pit Stop Gas Station/Convenience Store, at 66 Woodhouse Avenue, around 10:40 p.m., according to police.

The robbers held the station attendant at gunpoint while they stole cigarettes from behind the counter area and cash from the cash register.  The station attendant was not hurt. 

Police said the robbers fled the area in a dark- colored four-door sedan.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Wallingford Police Department at (203) 294-2805.  

 

Yesterday Bubba Watson won his second Masters title in three years. In June, you can see him right here in Connecticut.

Watson will return to TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship.

Watson earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2010 Travelers Championship and has gone on to five career victories.

He is the first player to win his second Masters victory in six attempts since Arnold Palmer in 1960.
 
Watson will join Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan, Patrick Reed, and reigning champion Ken Duke, among others in Cromwell.

Want to go? The tournament  takes place from June 16 to 22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell and  are on sale now Tickets for at www.TravelersChampionship.com.

Police are investigating an armed robbery at a gas station on the Farmington-Plainville line on Sunday night.

Farmington police officers were dispatched to 435 Main Street, Scott’s Town Line Mobil, around 10 p.m. for a reported armed robbery. 

Officers from the Farmington and Plainville police departments secured the area and started investigating. 

The one store clerk who was there said he heard someone enter the store as he was sweeping and a man suddenly pointed a black handgun at him, demanded money from the register and fled south on Route 10 toward Plainville with $567, police said. 

Officers checked the area, but did not find anyone.

Farmington’s K-9 Unit lost the track in the area of Pequabuck Lane. 

The robber is described as 6-feet-2. Eye witnesses said he was wearing a long-sleeve black shirt and black gloves with a gray shirt wrapped around his face.

Police have obtained surveillance photos, which show the man was actually wearing light-colored gloves and what appears to be a green jacket. Police said it is not uncommon for clothing to not exactly match was witnesses report seeing.

The incident is 14-5766.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Farmington Police Department at 860-675-2400 or the FPD tip-line at 860-675-2483.

 

A commuter survey on Metro-North is in and most people who took part in it gave Metro-North a C or D.

Commuter Action Group conducted the survey to capture how commuters felt after several problems on the tracks.

They said 642 people responded and said they have no illusions of this being scientific or a representative sampling.

SEE THE SURVEY RESULTS HERE

Most people think Metro-North’s service now is about the same as it was a few months ago or is getting worse and they blame management of the train service.

When asked what the biggest problems commuters face, they said late or delayed trains or lack of seating.

While many said they are not happy, most said they feel safe traveling on Metro-North, at 55.49 percent, while 29.47 percent said they are not sure.

Of the people who took part in the survey, most said they have never filed a complaint, while several who said they did complained saw nothing done about it.

Earlier this month, Marjorie Anders, a spokesperson for Metro-North, released a statement about the survey.

"Metro-North conducts its own annual, scientific, randomized and extremely thorough customer survey. We will continue to do so. We also have numerous ways for customers to contact us throughout the year, in person, by phone, by mail, by email, by social media. We value their input." 

She also said Metro-North values all input including this latest survey.

The rail service has been conducting its own informal meetings, during which commuters can raise questions and concerns and make suggestions to management.

The meeting are part of the Metro-North president Joseph Giulietti's 100-day plan.
 

A special meeting will be held tonight to address the proposed West Haven location of one of the 26 “Where Angels Play” playgrounds.

The New Jersey-based Sandy Ground Project wants to build a playground in an area near the Savin Rock Boardwalk in honor of Charlotte Bacon, one of the Sandy Hook School shooting victims.

But, members of the West Haven Land Trust, which owns the land, are concerned this would open the door to future expansion.

“I think the playground is a great idea,” Nikita Reddy, a West Haven resident, said. “I think that is actually a beautiful idea.”

However, long-time resident, Carol Conroy is opposed to the proposed location and said it would attract development of the shore area.

“We don’t want this to become a commercial area,” Conroy said.

Some residents said the playground should be placed further down the boardwalk, where there are other playgrounds.

“There is a partial playground down there on the beach; a blue one and if they added to that or put a new one in, somewhere where we can keep both sets of people happy,” Conroy said.

One West Haven Land Trust member told NBC Connecticut he has no comment until all of the information is reviewed at the meeting.

Mayor Ed O'Brien said he is currently in talks with the members.

The City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m., in West Haven. 

Tax Day is upon us, and whether you've already spent your fat return or are preparing to pony up, there are still a few things most taxpayers should know before Tuesday's deadline.

There are remedies for those who can't afford to pay by April 15 and those in need of making an amendment.

And for those who just need a break to enjoy some free stuff, scroll down to see where you can take advantage of Tax Day deals:

Freebies

The most practical of all tax season freebies is the IRS' Free File program, which allows those who have an adjusted gross income of $58,000 or less to file for free through the agency's website.

Once you're done with the arduous task of doing your taxes, you can reward yourself with some of these wackier Tax Day freebies:

• Hard Rock Cafe: On Tax Day, diners can sing on stage to get a free entree.
• Office Depot: Retail stores will shred up to 5 pounds of paper until April 29 if you present this coupon.
• Arby's: Get a coupon here for some free curly fries on April 15.
• Bruegger's Bagels: Get a dozen bagels from April 12 to 15 with two tubs of cream cheese for $10.40, a nod at the IRS' 1040EZ form.
• Sonic Drive-In: Enjoy half-priced drinks and slushes all day on April 15.

Deadline extension

A six-month extension until Oct. 15 is available for those who are running late. File Form 4868 to qualify, but there is a catch: The IRS will charge interest on any amount not paid by the April 15 deadline.

If you've already dropped your tax returns in the mailbox and you have changes to make, you must file the 1040X Form with the corrected information and explain why you are changing what you're reporting, according to TurboTax.

Payment plans

For individuals who owe $50,000 or less, Form 9465 allows them to make monthly payments if they're not able to pay their tax debt immediately.

Lowest audit rate in years

The Internal Revenue Service is reportedly auditing fewer individuals this year due to budget cuts and a shortage of resources at the agency.

The IRS' new head Josh Koskinen said the "worst of the bad guys" will be closely scrutinized.

"But there are going to be some people that we should catch, either in terms of collecting the revenue from them, that we're not going to catch," Koskinen told The Associated Press.

The IRS audited less than 1 percent of all individuals' returns last year and "the numbers will go down" this year, Koskinen said.

For those who might try to fleece Uncle Sam in light of this Tax Day discovery, watch out. Not only is it illegal not to pay, but employers, brokers and lenders report all wages, interest and investment income to the IRS.

The college basketball celebration continues in Hartford. The XL Center in Hartford has been chosen as the site of the 2015 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship.
 
"We are pleased to bring our 2015 men's basketball championship to the city of Hartford and to this outstanding arena," AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco said in a statement. "The success of UConn's men's and women's teams this year has made Connecticut the center of college basketball nationally. This event will enjoy tremendous fan support and our visitors will enjoy the many attractions in Hartford and its surrounding communities."
 
Yesterday, the city hosted a huge parade to celebrate the UConn men and women’s team both winning national titles this year.

"Today's announcement puts Hartford back in the basketball tournament business," Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a statement. "While this is great news for next year, I am even more excited for what this means in the future. I believe we can and should be in consideration for more NCAA tournament events, and I will continue to push to bring those games to our state. I want to thank the American Athletic Conference for making this decision.  I also want to send a message to college basketball fans everywhere – come to Hartford next March.  You won't be disappointed."
 
The dates for the 2015 championship have not been released but will be in the coming weeks.
 
The AAC membership in 2014-15 will include UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, USF, SMU, Temple, Tulane and Tulsa.


 

Bridgeport detectives have an arrest warrant charging a man with approaching and groping two high school students.

Police said Detectives Martin Heanue and Jorge Cintron secured a warrant on Thursday charging Harry Rodriguez, 40, of Bridgeport, with two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint and two counts each of risk of injury to a minor and breach of peace.

He is in jail on unrelated charges.

Police said they obtained a warrant after investigating six incidents in March where a man approached females, improperly touched them and then ran off, police said.

Rodriguez has been charged in connection with two of those incidents and police continue to investigate.

From the descriptions victims in all six cases gave police, authorities said they think the same person is responsible for all.

“This case was a priority and Detectives Heanue and Cintron did an outstanding job in linking Rodriguez to two of the incidents,” Capt. James Viadero, the head of the detective division, said in a statement. “The suspect showed no signs of stopping. Only when police locked him up did the incidents stop.”

The victims ranged in age from their early to late teens. The first incident happened on March 20 near Harding High School when a man grabbed at an 18-year-old, who ran away and fled in a grayish-colored Buick, police said.

Rodriguez also was charged with a March 27 incident in which a 14-year-old was accosted on East Main Street at Arctic Street while she waited for a bus. She provided a similar description.

Detectives checked for any video that might help identify a suspect or vehicle and Heanue located video from multiple locations from the morning of March 27 that showed a gray Buick in the immediate area of East Main and Arctic before and after the incident. 

That video also showed a man matching the description of the assailant walking in the area and running away a few minutes later, police said.

On March 31, Lt. Paul Greco located a silver Buick parked on Maple Street near Hallet Street. It matched the description of the car believed to be used, except that it had tinted windows.

When detectives went to the home at which the car was registered, they spoke with Rodriguez, who said he had the windows tinted a few days before, police said.

Later in the conversation, he stated “if this is about the kids being touched at the bus stops there is another gray car just like this one with tinted windows going around the East Side doing stuff like that,” according to a news release from police.

Later, police showed photographs of the car, taken just before and after the March 27 incident, to Rodriguez’s wife and she identified the car as hers and told police her husband was the only other one with keys, police said.

She then allowed police to search her house and detectives recovered a hooded sweatshirt with a half-face ski mask similar to what was described by several of the victims.

Inside the Buick, police recovered a second ski mask.

Bond was set at $250,000. Police said Rodriguez was arrested on April 2 and has been jailed since on a violation of parole.

One lane of Route 32 has reopened in Statford following a crash near the Massachusetts line, according to state police.

The road was shut down by Kuhrt road after a car hit a pole earlier Monday afternoon, police said. No injuries were reported.

Power lines were down in the roadway.
 

A Waterbury teacher who was placed on administrative leave for allegedly bullying students in her classroom has been suspended for three days without pay, effective today, according to school officials, and she will reassigned to the adult education department after Spring Break.

Mary Lou Addona was placed on leave after she was secretly recorded as saying she wanted to go "one-on-one" with a "crybaby" student so she could "punch him right in the face."

The recording of Addona was taped after eighth grader Jesus Velez got into a disagreement with the reading teacher during lunch.

"She just screamed at me, so she just found a way to pick on me," the 13-year-old student said in an interview with NBC Connecticut last month.

Classmate Aaron Stewart, who shared Jesus' discomfort with the teacher, suspected her frustration might continue, so he decided to record the beginning of the next class on his iPod.

NBC Connecticut listened to the entire recording, which was done without Addona's  knowledge. In a portion of the recording, you can hear the teacher lash out at Jesus, who wasn't in the room.

"Me and him one-on-one, I'd punch him right in the face and break that glass in his eye," she said.

About 10 seconds later, you can hear her go on about Jesus.

"I wanted him suspended, but what does he do, he just cries," she said. "I can't stand a crybaby."

Waterbury school administrators launched an investigation into what they are calling the "belittling" of a student and said on Monday that Addona has been reassigned to the adult education department, effective at the end spring break, April 21, to work on the expansion of the tech center programming.

In an interview with NBC Connecticut last month, Jesus' mom, Ellise Vasquez, said she felt "disgusted, upset, mad, angry everything else" after she heard the recording for the first time.

"How can she? How can she talk to my son that way," the mother of three said.

Later in the four-minute recording, you can hear Addona confront another boy, who was apparently a new student in her class.

"What is your name anyway? Blake. Blake, what kind of name is Blake? Irish, Italian, French, what are you? White?" she said.

NBC Connecticut went to Addona's home to get her reaction to the recording in March, but no one answered the door.

Both Aaron and Jesus say their teacher is generally "cool," but will sometimes lose it out of the blue. Aaron said she's been "saying rude comments for about two months now."

"It seems like this is a pattern for her. It's not the first time that she did it, it's just the first time that she got caught," Vasquez added.

When Vasquez met with NBC Connecticut in March, she said she had not sent Jesus back to school because he's nervous about how the students and other teachers are going to react.


 

Route 7 has reopened in Cornwall after fallen branches closed the highway earlier Monday.

The road was closed from the Cornwall Bridge to Route 112 because branches were down.

No additional information was immediately available.

A man has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the crash that killed an Enfield sixth grader. 

Police said 11-year-old Nico Filippa died after being hit by a motorcycle while riding his bike on Broad Brook Road in September.

Brian A. Dolloff, 29, was identified as the driver. He turned himself in to police this morning. 

He was charged with manslaughter in the second degree, operating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, traveling unreasonably fast and operating a motorcycle without a mc license. Police said he does have a regular driver's license.

Dolloff is being held on $100,000 bond. If he does not post it, he will be arraigned in Enfield Superior Court on Tuesday.

A wire in the roadway has cause a massive power outage in West Hartford, according to police.

Police said a wire is down on Farmington Avenue in the area of Dale Street. The road was closed while crews work to remove it but has since reopened.

More than 3,000 power outages were initially reported in town, according to Connecticut Light & Power. The number was down to about 2,200 by 4:30 p.m. and 411 outages by 5:15 p.m.

CL&P was reporting 172 outages around 9:30 p.m.

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Two months after nearly closing down, business is booming at the Crown Market in West Hartford as customers rushed to stock up on last-minute Passover supplies.

The specialty store, a staple in the local Jewish community, nearly missed helping customers prepare for tonight's Seder.

The store planned to close in February because of tough times. However, a group of new investors stepped in to keep it open.

It's the reason Debbie Weissman, of Windsor, placed an order this year.

"I figured I would promote Crown and use them because I knew they had some issues and problems so I figured I'd like to help them out and it helps me because I don't have to cook," said Weissman.

Weissman's order for chicken soup, chopped liver, brisket and other items was one of nearly 500 called into the store for Passover.

"This Passover will be the most joyous Passover," said Mark Seltzer, the store's produce manager.

Seltzer's grandfather was an original owner of the store. His father also once owned the store. Now, Mark is among the investors who helped keep it open.

"It's been as busy as I can ever remember and we just hope to continue, that the community will remember us even after the holidays," said Seltzer.

For now, customers say they're pleased the store is getting back on track.

"I think everybody is especially happy that this wonderful institution is still here. I could not imagine shopping anywhere else for the holidays but the Crown," said Judy Rosenthal, of Hartford.

Fairfield police and fire officials are responding to a hazmat situation at a home at 32 Clinton Street, and firefighters said an older man has died of possible cyanide poisoning.

Police said the initial report came in around 5:15 p.m. and emergency responders arrived to find signs of hazardous material, according to Fairfield Fire Assistant Chief Christopher Tracy.

Potassium cyanide and suicide notes were found around the house, according to Fairfield Fire Chief Richard Felner, adding that the man appeared to have taken his own life.

"At this time we're treating it as an untimely death pending further investigation," said Fairfield Police Deputy Chief Chris Lyddy, in a statement Monday night.

Fire officials said the investigation was concentrated in one room in the home, but that the neighborhood was evacuated and the area was roped off.

People were still out of their homes as of 8:30 p.m. and emergency officials remained on scene until after 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Two firefighters were taken to the hospital for possible exposure to the poisonous chemical.

Assistant Fire Chief George Gomola said the public was never at risk.

The Fairfield County Hazardous Incident Response Team, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and American Medical Response were on scene, along with the police and fire departments.

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Hartford police are investigating after a 2-month-old child was taken to the hospital in critical condition on Monday, authorities said.

Police arrived at 798 Capitol Avenue around 1:15 p.m. after receiving the report of an unresponsive infant.

The child was taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Dannie Sears, who identified herself as the baby's godmother, said the child is struggling to survive.

"Her mother came down to me saying she didn't look right, she wasn't acting right, so I told her to bring [the baby] to me," Sears explained. "I noticed her head lolling and her eyes kind of rolled to the side. She wouldn't connect, she wouldn't follow my hand or nothing [sic]. Within five seconds, I knew something was wrong with her, and I called 911."

The Hartford Police Department Special Investigations Division and Major Crimes Division homicide detectives are conducting a criminal investigation.

Sears said all she wants to know is that her goddaughter will be OK.

"She had surgery and she made it through the surgery, thank God, and she's fighting for her life," Sears said.

The infant remains in critical condition. It's not clear how she was injured.

"I just want everybody to pray for my goddaughter," Sears said. "She's a beautiful baby."

State Police Troop C in Tolland was evacuated Monday evening due to smoke in the building, according to Litchfield County Dispatch.

All calls have been rerouted to Troop L in Litchfield. Dispatchers said there is no fire, just smoke. The initial report came in just after 7:30 p.m.

It's not clear what caused the smoke to accumulate.

Troop C had returned to the building as of about 9 p.m.

No additional information was immediately available.