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Hartford Police Make Arrest in July 12 Shooting

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Hartford police have arrested a man on charges stemming from a July 12 shooting at 831 Maple Ave.

Police say on July 12 at 3:23 a.m. they responded to multiple calls of shots fired. They located an abandoned vehicle across the street from the Citgo station with heavy front end damage after hitting a pole. There were bullet holes in the front windshield.

According to police the intended victim of the shooting arrived at Hartford Hospital, stating he crashed his vehicle while fleeing gunfire. He was suffering from facial injuries as a result of the crash, as determined by doctors.

The Hartford Police Shooting Task Force obtained video of the incident and identified the suspect as eighteen-year-old Jerry Duncan, of Hartford. An arrest warrant was granted on July 16 and Duncan was arrested at 74 Yale Street on Friday. Police say the firearm from the incident was also recovered.

 

Duncan is charged with criminal attempted murder, criminal attempted assault, carrying a pistol without a permit, and having a weapon in a motor vehicle. Bond was set at $2,000,000.
 



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

Hartford Police Arrest Man for June 9 Assault

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Hartford Police have arrested a man on charges from a June 9 shooting at Villa Brava Grocery on Capitol Avenue.

Police say on July 9 they arrived at 1048 Capitol Avenue and found blood on the ground. Surveillance video showed a Hispanic suspect confront an unidentified man who was conducting a drug deal.

The video shows the suspect removing a firearm from his waistband and pistol whipping the unidentified man in the face. He then fires a shot at the victim’s feet and gestures for him to leave.

The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Ruben Reyes of Hartford. According to police, Reyes went back to Villa Brava Grocery on July 18 and threatened store workers regarding the original incident.

Reyes was arrested on July 24 in front of 75 James St.

He is charged with second-degree assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and first-degree reckless endangerment in the first incident. In the second incident he is charged with first-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace. Bond was set at $250,000 for each incident.
 



Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department

Thousands Rally for Palestine

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Thousands of Palestinian supporters gathered along Michigan Avenue Saturday to call for an end to the violence as fighting between Gaza and Israel continued Saturday.

Police estimate bout 8,000 demonstrators marched to Chicago's Federal Plaza calling for "peace with justice."

"My message is to stop the killing of Palestinians and to end the occupation," said Deena Kishawi, whose family is from Gaza.

Kishawi is attending college in Chicago, but said the crisis became even more personal for her after her cousin was killed in the conflict.

"My cousin was not a military person," she said. "He was a civilian and he died from an attack by Israel."

The protest comes as news that an attempted truce was rejected by Hamas officials Saturday.

Hamas militants fired three more rockets into Israel from Gaza Saturday, Israel's military said, after a Hamas official said the group rejected an Israeli proposal to extend a cease-fire by four more hours, NBC News reported.

The Palestinian death toll rose above 1,047, as 147 bodies were pulled from the rubble Saturday, Palestinian health official Asraf al-Kidra said. Israel has lost 40 soldiers and two civilians.

Among the Saturday protesters was Lynn Pollack, with the Jewish Voice for Peace, who said she is "horrified" by the violence taking place.

"I call on my fellow Jewish-Americans to stand up against what is happening and say you don't want it in your name," she said.

Saturday's protest is one of many to be held in Chicago over the last week.

A pro-Israel rally Tuesday turned into a face-off with Palestinian supporters.

About 500 demonstrators gathered in front of the office of the Consulate General of Israel, at 500 W. Madison St., in a call for peace. That country's military forces since July 8 have been fighting Hamas militants.

Across the street, about 100 people gathered to support the Palestinian people. Police kept the crowds separate but said one arrest was made.

The Palestinians say Israel is randomly deploying a wide array of modern weaponry against Gaza's 1.7 million people, inflicting a heavy civilian death toll and destroying large amounts of property there.

"We're not anti-Israel. We're not pro-Hamas. But we're pro-saving these children," said Sohni Singh, who stood with the rally organized by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine.

The U.S., Israel and the European Union all consider Hamas a terrorist organization. The United Nations does not.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday ordered all U.S. airline carriers to halt flights in and out of Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport because of a Hamas rocket attack nearby.

Israel and the U.S. back an unconditional cease-fire proposal that has been offered by Egypt, which would be followed by talks on a possible new border arrangement for Gaza. Israel and Egypt have severely restricted movement in and out of Gaza since Hamas seized the territory in 2007.

Get a Taste of Salt-N-Pepa at Free Concert Saturday Night

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If Salt-N-Pepa is your flavor, you'll like who's performing at the New Haven Green tonight.

Music on the Green, New Haven's free summer concert series, continues Saturday night with the popular hip hop duo performing.

Better yet, the concert is free and open to the public.

Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandy "Pepa" Denton formed Salt-N-Pepa while working at a Queens, New York Sears, according to their bio on allmusic.com. At the request of James' boyfriend, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, the two women rapped on his song, "The Show Stopper" for a class at Center for Media Arts in New York City, according to their bio. The group later released the song as "Super Nature, which became an underground hit on the R&B charts, and thus Salt-N-Pepa was born.

Last week, the free concert for Music on the Green was the Temptations Review, featuring original group member Dennis Edwards.

You will have to pay for parking for the concert, but if you're going to the concert you can redeem a $5 parking coupon online for the Crown and Temple Street garages from 4 p.m. to midnight. 

The concert starts at 7 p.m., presented by Yale-New Haven Hospital.

More information is available on infonewhaven.com.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Investigate Hartford Stabbing

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Police are investigating a Hartford stabbing Saturday.

Officers responded to the area of York and Zion streets around 3pm after reports of a serious assault. They found a victim that had walked down Zion St. suffering from stab wounds.

Deputy Chief Brian Foley says the victim, a 20 year old male from Hartford, was stabbed multiple times in the chest and back. He is currently in stable and guarded condition at Hartford Hospital.

The area is blanketed with cameras and police believe there are multiple suspects.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Father Kills Son: Police

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A Philadelphia man is on life support after police say he shot and killed his son, critically injured his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself.

Investigators say 26-year-old Shyema Washington and her 5-year-old son were attending a family member's birthday party at an apartment complex on the 1100 block of Haverford Road in Ridley Township Saturday night.

Police say the boy's father and Washington's boyfriend Tyrell Styles, 26, of Philadelphia arrived at the party to pick up his son around 11:30 p.m. Washington went inside the apartment to get her son, according to investigators. When she came back outside, Styles allegedly pulled out a Ruger 9 mm and opened fire.

Washington was struck once in the mouth, twice in the buttocks and once in the midsection. Styles then allegedly pointed the gun at his own son and fired two shots. The boy was struck once in the forehead and once in the ankle. Styles then fled the scene in a white Pontiac Grand Prix, according to police.

Responding officers chased after Styles, leading to a collision on Chester Pike and Oak Avenue in which two other drivers suffered minor injuries. Police say Styles continued to drive off until he arrived at a dead end on the 300 block of Brainerd Boulevard in Sharon Hill. As officers got out of their cars to approach him, investigators say Styles turned the gun on himself and fired one shot.

The 5-year-old boy was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. Washington was also taken to Crozer-Chester where she is currently in critical condition.

Styles was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and is currently on life support.

According to police, Styles and Washington were undergoing domestic issues prior to the shooting. They also say Styles legally owned the gun he used in the shooting. 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Florida Keys Webcam Captures Sea Turtle Hatching

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A live-streaming, high-definition "turtle webcam" positioned on a beach in the Florida Keys has recorded the hatch of about 100 baby loggerhead sea turtles.

The webcam has been focused on the nest in the Lower Keys for almost two weeks. Friday evening, the 3-inch-long babies erupted from a hole, came out en masse and headed to the Atlantic Ocean under dim moonlight.

The camera uses infrared lighting so hatchlings won't be confused by artificial light and will go to sea — guided by moonlight reflecting on the water -- instead of pushing further onto land.

"This webcam is high-definition, the first time ever used (to record a turtle hatch), and also an infrared IR-emitting light that is so important because it does not disturb any of the activities of the turtle trying to find the ambient light of the moon," said Harry Appel, president of the Keys-based Save-a-Turtle organization, that helped to coordinate the webcam in partnership with the Florida Keys tourism council that funded the effort.

The webcam is part of ongoing efforts in the Keys to raise awareness of sea turtles and the need to protect them.

"It's so important here in the Keys to protect these nests and these turtles," Appel said. "They've been around for millions, maybe hundreds of millions, of years."

Loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley sea turtles nest on beaches in the Keys and other parts of Florida, and inhabit Florida and Keys waters. All five species are considered either threatened or endangered.

The webcam was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

To view the webcam and recording of the turtles hatching, visit www.fla-keys.com/turtlecam.



Photo Credit: Florida Keys News Bureau

Police Issue Silver Alert for 12-Year-Old Girl

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Hamden police have issued a Silver Alert for a 12-year-old girl who has been missing since Saturday night.

Imani Reid, of Hamden, was last seen Saturday at 9 p.m. on the New Haven Green and is an endangered runaway, according to police. There was a Salt-N-Pepa concert on the Green that evening at 7 p.m. as part of the free Music on the Green concert series, but it's unclear at this time whether Reid attended the concert.

She was wearing a gray short sleeve shirt, black sandals, pink jean shorts and a pink bow in her hair when she was last seen, police said.

Reid is 5-foot-2 and weighs about 250 pounds.

Police ask anyone with information to contact the Hamden Police Department's routine phone line at 203-230-4000.



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hamden Police Department

Stabbing Suspect Turns Herself into Police

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A suspect wanted in a June stabbing on Columbus Circle in East Hartford turned herself into police on Saturday.

Arielle McFarlane, 21, was wanted on a charge of attempting to commit murder in connection to a serious assault and stabbing incident that happened on the street near the Columbus Circle Extension on June 29, police said. Officers obtained a warrant for her arrest on July 17.

After McFarlane turned herself in, police released her on a $50,000 bond and she is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 13.



Photo Credit: East Hartford Police Department

People Hit by Car at Zombie Walk

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Passersby were hit by a car Saturday evening while the annual Comic-Con Zombie Walk took over downtown San Diego, the San Diego Police Department confirmed, and the whole incident was caught on cell phone video.

Police said a deaf family with small children in the black Honda Accord was stopped near 2nd and Island avenues just after 5:30 p.m., waiting for participants of the Zombie Walk to cross.

After several minutes the 48-year-old father slowly rolled forward, trying to get out of the area.

According to the SDPD, several people from the crowd of zombies allegedly surrounded the car and began punching it. Police said the car windshield was shattered by the crowd.

The family was frightened, police said, so the father drove forward again. As he drove, he struck a 64-year-old woman with the side of his car.

In a video posted to YouTube, you can see the woman in a pink shirt -- who was not part of the zombie march -- falling under the car and sustaining a serious arm injury.

The zombie crowd then chased the driver on foot as the family drove toward a police officer down the street, officials said. The driver stopped when he arrived at the location of the police officers.

Officials said the victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. She’s expected to recover.

Two other people were also left with minor injuries. 

The car's driver has been cited, but he will not be criminally charged. The incident remains under investigation by police. 

However, witnesses in the crowd give a very different account. 

After watching the scene, Sean Foley told NBC 7 the Honda driver started honking incessantly as he was stuck behind the several pedicabs and vehicles leading up to the parade on 2nd Avenue. 

When he started inching forward, a parade watcher sat on his hood, Foley said. As the driver continued to accelerate, others stood in front of the car. 

"People began shouting for him to stop so as not to run through a parade that included [sic] children and babies in strollers at which point he floored his car through the crowd," Foley wrote in an email.

Diana Jackson, who said she was about 10 people away, told NBC 7 on Facebook that the driver took off with such aggression "that his tires squealed."

Counter to police information, Foley said the driver's window was broken after he hit people, not before. 

"The only reason he was surrounded by a crowd who was angry was because he was pushing his car through a crowd that was trying to watch the parade," said Foley.

Foley said the woman who suffered the arm injury was run over by both the front and back wheels. 

According to the Twitter page for the SDZombieWalk, participants of the event had nothing to do with the incident. Many tweeted that they were stunned by the turn of events at the walk and wished a speedy recovery to woman injured in the incident.

Organizers released another video that shows "no zombies touching the car that we can see" and nobody beating the car, according to ZombieWalk's post on its Facebook page.



Photo Credit: YouTube

22 Wounded, Boy Killed in Chicago Weekend Shootings

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Editor's Note: NBC Chicago includes shootings that took place between 6 p.m. Friday and 12 a.m. Monday in the weekend violence report.

Shootings Saturday and Sunday increased the total number of people shot in Chicago over the weekend to 23.

Casualties over the weekend include a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed at about 6 p.m. Friday in the 700 block of South California Avenue. Six others were also wounded in a shooting that witnesses say was a drive-by.

"As a result again of guns being introduced into what otherwise would have been a fist fight, we have seven kids shot ... and one of theme dead," Chicago Police superintendent Garry McCarthy said Sunday.

"At the end of the day if we stem the flow of guns coming in and we put people in jail for possession of firearms, we'll see the murder rate and violent in this city plummet."

A 3-year-old was also critically wounded Friday night when he was shot at about 10:15 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Sacramento Avenue. The bullet struck the young boy in his abdomen and exited through his hip, officials said. Police say the child's mother's boyfriend was the intended target.

Alger Sanchez, 19, and Anton Aseves, 22, were charged Sunday night with aggravated battery-discharge of a firearm and two felony counts of attempted murder in the first degree.

Nine shootings were reported Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.

A 32-year-old man was grazed in the neck by a bullet 8 a.m. Sunday on the 2900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. The victim told police that he was shot by an unknown person in a grey vehicle. He took himself to an area hospital where he was listed in good condition. Police say the victim has documented gang ties. No one is in custody.

At about 3:50 a.m. Sunday, a man was shot while sitting in the back of a car outside a party at 58th and Wolcott. Police say two people began arguing outside of the car, and one of them fired a gun, striking the individual inside the car. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition.

Police say a woman and her boyfriend were walking out of a nightclub in the 100 block of West Huron when they became involved in an altercation with another man. The boyfriend produced a gun, which he dropped during the struggle, according to police. The woman picked up the gun and place it in her purse, but was shot in the leg when her boyfriend reached for it. She's listed in stable condition at a local hospital.

At about 4:40 a.m., police say a man walked into Christ Hospital with a bullet wound to his right ankle. The victim says he was walking down the street in the 5600 block of South Emerald Street when he was approached by two males who asked if he was from the neighborhood. He said he kept walking, heard shots, and felt the pain in his ankle. Nobody is in custody for the shooting.

A 27-year-old man walking in the 2600 block of West Augusta at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday says he suddenly felt pain and discovered he was shot in the hip. He took himself to a local hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Police say he is a documented gang member. Nobody is in custody for the shooting.

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the 133rd block of South Eberhart at about 10 p.m. The victim says he was walking down the street, heard shots and felt pain in his neck. He was listed in stable condition.

A 36-year-old man is listed in stable condition after he was shot near the Eisenhower Expressway at about 8:45 p.m. Saturday. The victim was talking to a woman at a gas station in the 600 block of South Independence when he says an individual approached the pair with a gun and announced a robbery. The man says he tried to knock the gun away but it discharged, striking him in the stomach. The man drove to the highway ramp where the was met by EMS. Nobody is in custody for the shooting and attempted robbery.

A 24-year-old man is listed in stable condition after he was shot in the calf at about 1:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of West Farwell Avenue. Police say the victim is a documented gang member with a felony conviction. Nobody is in custody for the shooting.

Police say the victim of a shooting at about 12:45 p.m. Saturday is not cooperating with investigators. The 26-year-old man was sitting the driver's seat of a car at 52nd and Hoyne when he was shot. He's listed in serious condition with a wound to the chest after a friend drove him to a local hospital.

Bristol Police Thwart Burglar

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Bristol police have arrested a man accused of trying to burglarize a convenience store early Sunday.

Police say just after midnight an officer was checking the security of the Citgo Gas Station/Convenience Store at 551 Farmington Ave when he spotted a man fleeing from the building. The officer observed the man with a crowbar and gave chase, believing the man was trying to burglarize the establishment.

More officers responded and the suspect was detained, according to police. A K9 officer and his dog found the crowbar under a nearby car. Police say they also found fresh damage to the business suggesting someone attempted to force entry.

The suspect was identified as 53-year-old Juan Gonzales, of no certain address. Gonzales was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal attempt at burglary, sixth-degree larceny, third-degree criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools. He is being held on $40,000 bond and is expected to be arraigned at Bristol Superior Court on Monday.
 

Severe Storms Move Through Connecticut

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A series of severe storms moved through parts of the state Sunday evening, just hours after a confirmed tornado touched down in Wolcott.

The storms came down from Massachusetts and moved into Enfield, Suffield, and then headed southeast around 7 p.m.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Hartford, Tolland, Windham and New London counties.  All severe weather warnings ended at 8:30 p.m.

The storms brought heavy wind and hail to the eastern part of the state.  Hail was reported in Ellington and Vernon.

Connecticut Light & Power reported more than 9,300 customers without power during the height of the storms.

Connecticut could see another round of severe weather on Monday.  Storms may develop around 5 a.m., and we could see several rounds of storms throughout the day, according to NBC Connecticut meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan.

Share your severe weather photos with us at shareit@nbcconnecticut.com

 



Photo Credit: Heather Hayden

Wedding Photos Lead to Rap Cameo

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After Amy and Ian said "I do," they never thought their wedding photo shoot would go viral.

"It just started taking on a life of its own," said the groom's mother, Suzanne Hicks. " It was like a domino effect."

The groom, originally from South Florida, and his bride from Michigan wed during Memorial Day weekend in Detroit. The couple and their bridal party quickly gained fame after a photo of them went viral, accompanied by a message snapshot where a woman texted a wedding photo shoot invite to the wrong person. The stranger then responded, "We Still Coming".

"The 'we still coming' text message was like a hoax, it was fake. Somebody somehow got a hold of this picture -- we don't know where or how -- and they put this fake text with it," said Hicks.

Although the text is fake, there is a real story behind the photo. The best man says they stopped at Michigan Central Station to take wedding pictures and upon arriving a rap group named 7262 was filming a music video at the same spot.

"We were in a good mood, we were all celebrating the wedding and we went over there to say what's up," said Mike Maloney, the best man. "They said they were filming. We said let's hear the song and then one thing led to another, we made friends with them, started dancing with them, and the next thing we know we're on all these internet sites."

Since its July 1st upload, 7262's "Anthem" video already has nearly 200,000 views. The best man says it was an unexpected collaboration; however, they were practicing their moves prior to the video anyway.

"I mean, we were definitely ready to dance cause we were there for a wedding. So we were ready to dance for the reception so we were already working on our moves before that," said Maloney.



Photo Credit: Adam Sparkes

Uber Driver Arrested After Assault

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Police have made an arrest after a woman claimed an Uber cab driver sexually assaulted her earlier this month.

Police arrested 31-year-old Reshad Chakari of Alexandria, Virginia, and charged him with second-degree sexual abuse.

On July 20, police had responded to the 1400 block of Rhode Island Ave., NW, where a woman reported that an Uber Cab driver had sexually assaulted her. According to the police report, the woman said Chakari touched her while she was sleeping in the car.

"Rider safety is Uber's #1 priority. We take reports like this seriously and are treating the matter with the utmost urgency and care," said Taylor Bennett, spokesperson for Uber Technologies. "It is also our policy to immediately suspend a driver’s account following any serious allegations, which we have done. We stand ready to assist authorities in any investigation.”

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington for more on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

SoCal Lightning Kills 1, Injures 8

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A 20-year-old man has died in the hospital after being struck by lightning at Venice Beach on Sunday, officials said. Seven other beachgoers were hospitalized, including one with critical injuries.

Firefighters responded around 2:20 p.m. Sunday to reports of injuries stemming from a lightning strike in the 3500 block of South Ocean Front Walk, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Thirteen people were checked out by firefighters at the scene. Eight of them were taken to the hospital, including seven adults and a 15-year-old, the LAFD said.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed that the man died at Marina Del Rey Hospital.

All of the victims were in or near the water when lighting touched down.

A video taken at the scene showed the frantic moments when rescuers pulled a person who appeared to be unconscious out of the water.

On Santa Catalina Island, a 57-year-old man who was on an Avalon golf course was also struck by lightning. He was hospitalized in stable condition, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

The lightning strikes occurred as a thunderstorm hit the island, causing minor flooding and setting two small fires in the brushy backcountry that were quickly doused.

Monsoon conditions moving in from Arizona were expected to bring small amounts of rain -- up to a quarter-inch -- all throughout Los Angeles County through the evening, according to David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“There is that potential for brief heavy amounts,” Sweet said of the rain. “In most places it will be small.”

In Avalon, about two-thirds of an inch was recorded in about 30 minutes, weather officials said. One man was apparently injured in a lightning strike and minor flooding reported in the area, according to wire reports.

After a cloudy night, the sun was expected to be out again Monday. Temperatures were expected in the mid to upper 70s inland areas and 80s and 90s inland.

Weather officials said the rainfall was too localized to make any dent in the state's ongoing drought crisis.



Photo Credit: @Venice311 via Twitter

Neighbors Help Woman, 90, Escape Apartment Blaze

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A woman in her 90s is in the hospital Sunday after jumping from her second-floor window with the help of neighbors to escape a fire that ravaged a Hamden, Connecticut, apartment complex and displaced about a dozen people.

Hamden firefighters received a call about the fire at Dogwood Hill Apartment Homes at 200 Evergreen Avenue between 2 and 3 a.m. One resident captured footage in a video shared with NBC Connecticut.

About seven or eight units were affected by the fire and some had water damage. The fire left four of the units unliveable and displaced at least 12 people.

Many of the residents were asleep at the time of the fire and the fire alarms didn't go off, according to Michael Lenson, one of the displaced residents. But he was awake so he banged on his neighbors' doors to alert them.

Lenson and other neighbors helped a 90-year-old woman escape before firefighters arrived, according to neighbors. She was taken to the hospital to be treated for leg injuries sustained from her drop to the ground, but she's expected to be okay, according to fire officials.

"She kicked out her screen, her window screen, and then she hung her leg out and we grabbed it, and we helped carry her down," Lenson said. "She kind of jumped and we caught her. She was kind of hurt and she went to the ambulance, and that's all I know so far."

Another neighbor who helped the elderly woman down said she jumped out the window.

"I run out, and I ring everyone’s doorbell to get them out, and the woman in the apartment where it started, she was – we had to catch her," resident Matt Creegan said. "She had to jump out the window, we had to catch her."

Another man, 28, who helped wake up neighbors by knocking on doors injured his shoulder in the process, but he told NBC Connecticut that he hasn't yet sought medical care.

Fire officials did not identify either of the injured parties.

It's unclear where the fire started.

The apartment building is located on a steep, narrow cul-de-sac and the apartments affected in the fire were on a hairpin turn, making access difficult for the fire trucks.

The American Red Cross responded to help displaced residents, one of whom said he just moved in Thursday and lost everything.

The fire remains under investigation and the cause has not been determined at this time.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

National Weather Service Confirms Wolcott Tornado

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The National Weather Service's New York office has confirmed that a weak tornado touched down in Wolcott.

The "EF0" level tornado touched down at 12:50 p.m, the National Weather service tweeted at 4:39 p.m. The small tornado had an estimated wind speed of 80 to 85 miles per hour and spanned about .62 miles, according to its preliminary findings.

A level 0 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale is a week tornado estimated to reach 65 to 85 miles per hour in a three-second gust, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The National Weather Service sent a representative to investigate with the help of Wolcott Emergency Management officials.

"The path began near the intersection of Minor Road and Center Streeet where a tree was uprooted and facing west" and finally lifted near Stagecoach Lane, the National Weather Service wrote in its preliminary report, which is subject to change pending final review.

The tornado caused "intermittent tree damage" and "continued along a path to the northeast to Wolcott High School," blowing "large fixed sports equipment" across the field and knocking down a fence, according to the report.

"Several trees were also topped" and the tornado knocked down several other trees to the northeast on Kalko Drive, the National Weather Service reported.

Police said that the tornado left a minimal trail of damage in Wolcott.

"Several trees were damaged as well as a trailer and a portable baseball backstop. The tree that damaged the trailer also landed on the roof of a house on Kalko Drive, causing minor damage and tore out the electrical service to the house," Wolcott police posted on Facebook.

Town crews cleared fallen trees that briefly blocked the roadways on Minor Road and Deer Run.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook earlier in the day for Hartford, Tolland,  Windham and northern Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties, warning of possible thunderstorms with strong or damaging wind gusts, as well as heavy downpours and possible "urban and poor drainage flooding."

Storms and rain showers were in the forecast from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with an isolated tornado risk earlier in the day and scattered thunderstorms that had potential to bring lightning and hail, NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney said late Sunday morning.

Storms could flare up again early Monday morning, potentially causing trouble on the morning commute, according to NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Monica Cryan.

Visit the NBCConnecticut.com weather page or download our weather app for the latest weather developments.

If it is safe to do so, please submit your weather photos to shareit@nbcconnecticut.com.



Photo Credit: @StormTrooperJay

Lightning Strike Causes House Fire

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Severe weather in Enfield Sunday night left six people displaced after lightning set their home on fire.

The home at 97 Prospect St. caught fire around 7:30 p.m., according to firefighters. It took 34 firefighters about 40 minutes to get the blaze under control.

Emma Jones, who lives in the home, described the incident.

“All of a sudden I heard this big boom and it sounded like something went right through the house,” she said. “So we're sitting there watching TV, fifteen minutes later the neighbors bang on the door, the house is on fire, the house is on fire!”

Two people were transported with minor injuries. The American Red Cross is on scene assisting those displaced.

Fire officials also confirmed the severe weather had crews were responding to various reports of trees and wires down across town. A micro-burst on Taylor Road sent trees falling onto the road, leaving only one lane open to traffic.

There were various other incidents throughout town, and at one point at least 15% of the town was without power, according to the CL&P website. Officials in the area are asking residents to avoid traveling the roads tonight.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Colleagues Talk Texas Doc's Ebola

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A relief group official says two American aid workers have tested positive for the Ebola virus while working to combat an outbreak of the deadly disease at a hospital in Liberia.

Ken Isaacs, a vice president of Samaritan's Purse, told The Associated Press on Sunday that 33-year-old Dr. Kent Brantly was stable and in very serious condition.

Brantly is the medical director for the group's Ebola care center on the outskirts of the Liberian capital of Monrovia and has been diagnosed with the very disease he was trying to help fight.

Isaacs identified the second American, Nancy Writebol, as a worker with an allied aid group SIM, or Serving in Mission, which runs the hospital. He said she was in stable and serious condition.

He said both Americans have since been isolated and are under intensive treatment.

Friends of Brantly told NBC 5 he is not only  a great person but is also a great doctor.

“Kent is a humble family man, soft-spoken yet deep thoughts and very intelligent,” said Jason Brewington, a friend and colleague from John Peter Smith Hospital.

Brewington helped supervise Brantly during his four–year residency in maternal health and family medicine at JPS Hospital in Fort Worth. But, their story doesn’t start there. The men’s wives were friends years before the Brantlys moved to North Texas. Brewington describes his friend as man devoted to the Lord.

“In this case when you’re called to do something, to go somewhere, you have two options — either to answer that call or not,” Brewington said.

Brantly, a father of two, answered. Brewington said he worked on various missions all across the world but most recently worked in Haiti, Nigeria and Tanzania.  

“He and his wife, I think before they even met, knew they wanted to do missions, and they have always lived their lives with that in mind at some point they would be on the mission field in a hospital doing what no one else wants to do,” Brewington said.

“That’s a calling not everyone has — it’s a passion that not everyone has and I’m glad to be a part of Kent and Amber’s family in that regard.”

At the Southside Church of Christ where the Brantly Family are members, Brantly has been added to the prayer list.

“When we heard about the fact that he had come down with the virus we were all very touched, and one of the first things that we do is get him on a prayer list because we believe the avenue for this healing of this particular virus, which there is no cure for, is God," said Keith Crow, member of Southside Church of Christ.

"God is going to have to pull him through it."

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