Police have tracked down the SUV they believe to be involved in a hit-and-run that killed a mom and injured her 11-year-old son in Bridgeport earlier this month and are questioning a correction officer in connection with the crash, according to a source close to the investigation.

Although police have not made any arrests in the death of 51-year-old Evelyn Agyei on Dec. 4, police said that finding the white BMW X3 SUV that hit her car is a big step in the right direction.

"We are grateful for the community's assistance. Our goal is to bring justice to Evelyn and hopefully some comfort and closure for her children, husband and loved ones. This is a major first step," said Bridgeport police Chief Joseph Gaudett, Jr., in a statement Wednesday.

Bridgeport police said investigators spoke with the car's owner, who admitted to being in the area of the crash on Boston Avenue the morning of Dec. 4.

"Somebody came to tell them, 'This is the car. We saw it on the news,'" said Evelyn Agyei's husband Jonathan. "We thank that person very well."

A source with knowledge of the investigation said that woman has been a correction officer at the Community Correctional Center on North Avenue in Bridgeport for 15 years.

Surveillance footage shows the BMW striking Agyei's Subaru several times, forcing her car off the road and into a tree.

Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport police are working together to process evidence from the scene. No charges have been filed and police have not released the name of the BMW's owner.

According to a source close to the investigation, police are likely to make an arrest.

Many children in New Haven are braving the winter months without coats, and the police department hopes to change that.

"We often feed people who need food, we cloth people who need clothing, we hug people when they need a moment of compassion, and we can use all the help we can get," said New Haven police Chief Dean Esserman.

The help is coming from the Knights of Columbus, which donated 300 coats to the police department as part of the Knights' Coats for Kids campaign.

"We learned in the winter time there are children who aren't able to go to school because they don't have a warm coat to get there," explained Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "So, we thought, 'Gee, if we can do this.' And it's not very expensive. We buy the coats whole sale and then split the cost with our local councils."

New Haven police Lt. Sam Brown has seen first-hand how many kids in New Haven are left in the cold.

"It's not that they don't want to wear a coat, it's that they don't have one," said Brown.

He took the donation a step further and came up with the idea to have police officers keep the coats in their cruisers to hand them out whenever they see a child without a coat.

"That's extremely important because you get to meet the need immediately, right on scene," said Brown.

Deliveries to doorsteps are an everyday occurrence during the holiday season, but with an increase in deliveries comes an increase in thefts.

Police in Trumbull said they've seen their fair share of package thieves this winter.

“ A couple of bags full of mail was recovered in Easton, an adjoining town, a couple of days ago, and it ended up being all Trumbull residents that had packages and mail stolen,” said Trumbull police Lt. Leonard Scinto.

Police are now trying to notify the people whose mail was stolen. They said the thefts occurred around town, including Magnolia Road, West Lake Road, Merrimac Drive, Old Dike Road and Madison Avenue.

“A lot of these are crimes of opportunity. They're not following delivery trucks around, they're just driving around town, looking for unattended packages,” said Scinto.

Trumbull police are also working with authorities in Shelton to see if two men arrested there for similar thefts are responsible for the ones in Trumbull.

Police are encouraging residents to make sure packages are not left unattended on their doorsteps.

Instead, have a neighbor pick up deliveries, send them to a work address or pick them up at the post office.

The issue of U.S.-Cuba relations could divide families, according to a young Hartford attorney who shared her thoughts after President Barack Obama announced a move toward diplomacy Wednesday.

"I'm 50 percent Cuban, first-generation American," said Carla Nascimento Zahner, from behind the counter of La Estrella Portuguese bakery. She was filling in her parents, the owners, after attending to business in court.

"My mom came to this country after the Bay of Pigs," explained Zahner, referring to the failed 1961 U.S. invasion halfheartedly supported by the Kennedy administration. "She's always instilled so much of our culture in my everyday life."

Zahner said she thinks diplomatic relations with Cuba could be positive even with the Castro brothers still running their police state.

"If the Castros are still there, I can guarantee you my Mom would not agree with my sentiment right now," she said. "She vehemently opposes any relations with the Castro family."

The new deal does not open Cuba to American tourism, but it does raise the remittance maximums to $2,000 a quarter, up from just $500.

"It would be life changing for them," said Zahner. "They live in squalor. They depend so much on every single dollar that comes from family members in this country. It's a very, very touchy subject."

How exactly the former Marine suspected in this week's killing spree in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, died is unclear after an examination by the county's coroner.

Coroner Dr. Walter Hoffman tells NBC10's Deanna Durante there was no sign of trauma to Bradley Stone's center region, contradicting information released by prosecutors on Tuesday.

District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman had said at a briefing Tuesday that it appeared Stone took his own life and had "self-inflicted cutting wounds to the center of his body."  She did add, however, they were awaiting an official report by the coroner.

Hoffman initially said Stone suffered no trauma to his body, then clarified that although the 35-year-old did have a cut to his leg, the trauma was not something that caused his death. He did not say whether it were self-inflicted.

Sources said there were two medicine bottles found on Stone's body and that one contained a crushed-up powder substance. An energy drink container with powder on the rim was also recovered, sources said.

Hoffman said he is awaiting toxicology results to make a final determination on how Stone died. He has expedited the testing and expects an answer by next week.

An intense manhunt was launched Monday for Stone, after prosecutors say he shot or stabbed his ex-wife Nicole Hill Stone and six members of her family early Monday. Six of them died. Hill Stone's 17-year-old nephew Anthony Flick is the lone survivor. He suffered a gaping head wound and serious cuts to his arm.

Stone was found dead in the woods near his Pennsburg home Tuesday after two days of searching.

The coroner has also released autopsy information, along with the official causes of deaths, for Stone's victims.

Stone's ex-wife Nicole, 33, was shot multiple times, just feet away from the couple's two daughters, aged 8 and 5. Nicole's mother, Joanne Gilbert, was shot in the head and had cuts to her neck. Grandmother Patricia Hill, 75, was shot in the head.

Nicole's sister, Trisha Flick, 36, was shot in the head and also suffered gunshot wounds to her arm. Her husband A.J. Flick had "chopping" injuries to his hands and head. Tricia and A.J.'s 14-year-old daughter, Nina, also died from chopping wounds to her head.

A large handled machete and a double-bladed axe-type instrument were found near the Stone's body, according to sources. They both appear to be coated in blood.

The Department of Veteran Affairs says Stone had post-traumatic stress disorder but that he didn't have any suicidal or homicidal thoughts when he met with his psychiatrist on Dec. 8.

A hospital set to be sold to a Texas-based health care company is calling on Gov. Dannel Malloy for his help to bring back a deal that's on life support.

Tenet Healthcare had been in negotiations with the state and five hospitals over the past two years to purchase them and transfer state licenses to the company.

Last week, the company told investors it was ending talks with the state after proposed regulations were unveiled.

The company released a statement that reads, in part:

"The extensive list of proposed conditions to be imposed on the Waterbury Hospital transaction, which is only the first of four transactions for which we’ve made applications, has led us to conclude that the approach to regulatory oversight in Connecticut would not enable Tenet to operate the hospitals successfully for the benefit of all stakeholders."

State Sen. Martin Looney, the soon-to-be top ranking member of the Connecticut Senate, supported regulations that included limits on staff reductions and other restrictions relating to licensing.

"I think we have a responsibility to do diligence whenever there is a conversion or a proposed conversion and if it didn’t meet Tenet’s conditions, that’s a judgment for them to make but the state of Connecticut has its own responsibilities as well," Looney said.

Darlene Stromstad, CEO of Waterbury Hospital, said the requirements were onerous at best.

“Can’t change staff. Can’t change hours of operation. I couldn’t change the hours of operation from 7:30 to 8 a.m. in an outpatient lab without getting state approval. That’s ludicrous,” Stromstad said.

Both Looney and hospital executives agree that the healthcare landscape in Connecticut is changing, especially with more hospitals moving from what is known as a "fee-for-service model" to an outcome, or value based model.

“Hospitals like us aren’t going to survive longterm alone" said Stromstad. "All across the country you’re seeing independent, small community hospitals, just like Waterbury hospital seeking affiliations, mergers or partnerships with larger companies.”

Malloy's administration declined to comment on the call from Stromstad to involve himself in negotiations. The governor has said in the past that he supports a prosperous Waterbury Hospital.

Stromstad is urging him to take action.

“Bring them together, reach out, call Tenet, say Tenet come back. Let’s find a way that you can run happy healthy businesses in Connecticut," she said.

In just three weeks, members of the Connecticut House and Senate will take their seats for the 2015 session, and one legislator is still recovering from injuries he suffered over the summer.

State Sen. Andrew Maynard fell at his home in Stonington over the summer and hurt his head. He hasn't made a public appearance in months but still won reelection against a Republican challenger during the November election.

Maynard – and his condition – has been a constant source of conversation over the past several months.

State Sen. Martin Looney, the next President Pro Tempore of the Connecticut, the chamber's highest ranking officer, visited Sen. Maynard recently.

“We had a good visit," said Looney. "We walked to the visiting area without assistance and he seems to be making significant progress toward his recovery.”

Maynard's family released updates on the senator's condition over the summer, explaining that his recovery was going well. Family members could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Maynard's injuries have not affected his standing among Senate Democrats. He will chair the Transportation Committee when the session convenes on Jan. 7.

Looney said he wouldn't speculate on whether his colleague would be in attendance during the 2015 session, but added that any questions about whether he deserves to serve should be put to rest by virtue of the election results.

“His constituents have elected him to another term and they are in effect willing to give him time to recover to be back with them. and I think that if that’s the position his constituents have taken I certainly think that’s the one the rest of the state should embrace,” Looney said.

A woman was rushed to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after she was struck by a car while loading groceries into her car in Naugatuck, according to police.

Police said a car backing up in the parking lot of Friehofers Bakery Outlet at 1041 New Haven Road hit the woman around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, trapping her between that car and her own.

The impact of the crash pushed the victim's car forward several feet, according to police.

Emergency responders rushed the woman to Waterbury Hospital for treatment of serious leg injuries. Fortunately, police said, her wounds are not life threatening.

The offending driver was taken to a local hospital to be checked for injuries, but police said she was not seriously hurt.

Authorities continue to investigate. The driver and victim have not been publicly identified.

Police are searching for the man who knocked over a 99-year-old woman and stole her purse while she was delivering homemade Christmas cookies to a senior center in Windsor.

"This guy took advantage and made her a victim," said Capt. Kelvan Kearse, of the Windsor Police Department.

Authorities said the woman was bringing treats to the Windsor Senior Center on Broad Street when the man came up behind her and pushed her down. He took her purse and ran off while she was still on the ground.

"Crimes of this type tend to escalate during the holiday season, unfortunately," Kearse said.

Although police have not publicly named a suspect, Kearse said they have an idea of who might be responsible.

"If he is the person we believe it to be, he does not live in town, but we are familiar with him," he explained.

Police hope to make an arrest soon and said the woman is OK.

A Boston man who works a driver for ride sharing company Uber has been arraigned on several charges in connection with a sexual assault, authorities said Wednesday evening.

Forty-six-year-old Alejandro Done of Boston was arraigned on charges of rape, assault to rape, kidnapping and two counts of assault and battery.

Police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, say they are still investigating.

The attack allegedly happened on Dec. 6, when Done picked up a young woman waiting for a pre-arranged ride around 7:30 p.m. from a residence on Tremont Street in Boston, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say that once she got inside the car, the woman was asked where she was going, and was told that she needed to pay in cash. Done allegedly stopped while the woman went to an ATM to get cash and then came back to the car.

Done then drove to a location the woman wasn't familiar with, pulled over and jumped in the backseat where she sat, according to the D.A.'s Office. Done allegedly hit her, strangled her, locked the car doors preventing her escape and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming, and then allegedly sexually assaulted her during the struggle.

The Middlesex D.A.'s Office says it's not known at this time if Done used information as an Uber driver to target the alleged victim.

Uber has been cooperative in the investigation, the D.A.'s Office said, and their records helped Cambridge Police to identify Done as the suspect.

Stay with necn as this story develops. 

A young woman from Enfield is struggling to come to grips with the loss of her fiance, who died in a house fire along with his grandmother, aunt and a family friend last week.

Josh Johnson is father of Krissy Willis' unborn child. Willis said her world was turned upside down when Johnson lost his life last Wednesday as flames devoured his home on South River Street.

"I saw the house burning and I started screaming. He was my world. He meant everything to me. Now it's just me and Holly," Willis said through tears.

Willis said she and Johnson were preparing to celebrate their third anniversary on New Year's Day and were looking forward to the birth of their daughter Holly in the spring.

"This is his daughter, and he was so happy and excited he was going to be a father for the first time," Willis said, adding that the fire also destroyed everything she had bought her the baby.

Willis said she's in desperate need of baby clothes, furniture, diapers and wipes. She was planning to move in with Johnson and is now searching for a place to call home.

"If I can get her into an apartment before the baby is born, then it will be better for her stress-wise," explained Willis' uncle, Bill Stone.

Bill and Lisa Stone have started a fundraising page for Willis in hopes of getting her back on her feet.

Although reeling from the loss of her fiance, Willis said she takes comfort in the knowledge that Johnson's memory will live on in little Holly.

A pizza delivery driver from Hamden is counting his blessings after fighting off would-be robbers who attacked him and tried to steal his car, and police say he wasn't the only driver targeted last night.

According to police, a driver for Legend Pizza was making a delivery on Manila Avenue around 8 p.m. Tuesday when two people approached his car.

"A teenager, he came behind the house and approached my car," explained delivery driver Sanan Abdullayev. "I was preparing to go out from my car but suddenly another guy [appeared] from behind that house. I didn't see his face. His face was covered totally."

One man pulled a gun, pointed it at the delivery man’s head and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t give up his car, according to police.

"He put his gun like that to my head and said, 'Leave the car. I will kill you. Leave the car,'" Abdullayev said. "He repeated it a lot of times. 'I will shoot you; I will kill you.'"

The deliveryman tried to grab the gun and was able to get away without being hurt.

"I was struggling with him. The second one was trying to open my driver door, but they kept repeating, 'I have a gun. Leave the car, otherwise I kill you,'" he said.

Abdullayev said he held the driver's side door shut and hit the gas to get away.

"I didn't give them anything and I will not give them anything," he said. "It's like an incredible, complicated feeling but the only thing I know is you've got to struggle. You've got to struggle for life."

Police are searching for the suspects. Investigators said was 18-20 years old and was wearing dark clothing. The other was wearing a mask and dark clothing.

It's not the only time a pizza delivery driver has been targeted recently in the city.

Less than two hours later, a driver for Pianca Pizza said he was making a delivery on Helen Street when two people with guns approached him and stole money, according to police. The two men were wearing bandannas.

Police are investigating to determine whether the incidents are related and are working to track down the suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Donald Remillard at 203-230-4040. 

Authorities are searching for 32-year-old Sang Pak, who was reported missing from Middletown on Monday and has mental health concerns that require medication, according to police.

Police said Pak stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. She has black hair and black eyes and was last seen wearing a pink jacket.

If you spot Pak, call police and do not approach her.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact Middletown police at 860-347-6941.

A reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver who struck and killed a 23-year-old Bethel mom has increased from $1,000 to $5,000 as family members plead for anyone with information to come forward.

Rachel Sack, 23, was struck near the intersection of South Street and Green Pasture Road in Danbury early last month. Family members said she was leaving a local cafe and heading home to Bethel, where her 9-week-old son was waiting.

Sack, a nurse's assistant at Regional Hospice and Home Care in Danbury, was pronounced dead at Danbury Hospital.

More than a month later, police are still working to track down the driver who hit her. Family, friends and coworkers have collected $5,000 for a reward and set up a scholarship fund for baby Jackson.

"We hope her son grows up knowing she was very loved and supported and that we can try to raise money for an educational scholarship fund for him so he can go to college," said Cynthia Roy, president of Regional Hospice and Home Care.

Donations to the Rachel Sack Reward Fund and Jackson Scholarship Fund can be sent to:

Union Savings Bank
Attn: Main Office
226 Main Street
Danbury, CT 06810

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Sgt. Rory DeRocco from Danbury Police Department's Traffic Division at 203-797-2157.

The state Supreme Court judge who was set to preside over a hearing Friday to decide whether the documents from the Eric Garner grand jury proceedings could be released to the public has recused himself from the case, NBC 4 New York has learned.

Judge Stephen Rooney removed himself from the case because his wife works at Richmond University Medical Center, the same hospital where the EMTs who responded to the Garner call worked, multiple officials familiar with the case proceedings said. 

As a result, Friday's hearing will be postponed until January, when a new judge is expected to be assigned. 

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James said Rooney's recusal raises more questions than answers and "further underscores the need to release the grand jury minutes related to the investigation of Eric Garner's death." 

"The only way to restore the public's faith in our justice system is to bring sunlight into the court system," she said in a statement, adding that she is directing her legal team to continue fighting in court for disclosure. 

NBC 4 New York first reported earlier this month that Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan did not ask grand jurors to consider a reckless endangerment charge in the chokehold death of Eric Garner.

Donovan only asked grand jurors to consider manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges against NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, the cop seen on widely-watched amateur video wrapping his arm around Garner's neck as the heavyset, asthmatic 43-year-old yelled, "I can't breathe!" nearly a dozen times during the July 17 confrontation, the source said.

It's not clear why Donovan left the lesser charge off the table, and he has said strict confidentiality laws surrounding grand jury proceedings prevent him from discussing the details of the case.

Donovan had submitted an application to the court seeking authorization to publicly release specific elements of the proceedings but the only information released when Rooney granted his request a day later involved the number of exhibits the jurors saw, how long they heard evidence and how many witnesses they heard it from. The application was sealed, so it's not clear if he had petitioned the judge to release information about the charges the jurors considered.

Last week, the New York Civil Liberties Union formally petitioned for the public release of the grand jury record, and the hearing on it was scheduled for this Friday. 

The grand jury in the Garner case delivered a vote on Dec. 3 of "no true bill," which determined there was not probable cause that Pantaleo committed any criminal offense the panel was tasked with considering. The decision set off protests in New York City and across the country.

The NYPD said its internal review of the case is ongoing, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it also is investigating.  

Authorities are investigating after an infant was found unconscious at a Plainville home Wednesday morning and airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, according to police.

Police were called to 167 Stillwell Drive around 9 a.m. Wednesday after the baby was found unresponsive.

Medical personnel took the baby to the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. From there, LifeStar airlifted the infant to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, according to police.

The baby was listed in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.

Police have not released any information on the circumstances of the baby's injury but said the State Police Major Crimes Squad is investigating, along with the state's attorney office and Plainville police detectives.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

A rollover crash is causing delays on Interstate 91 South in New Haven this morning.

The car rolled over near exit 8.

There was also a crash in the area of exit 2, but that has cleared.

A crash on Interstate 95 North near exit 75 in East Lyme was causing delays, but it has since cleared.

Traffic is also slow on Route 63 near Hill House Road in Goshen after a car hit a tree.

For traffic updates through the morning, follow Heidi Voight on Twitter.

A string of storms that marched across California this month provided enough rain to boost reservoir levels and slightly improve drought conditions after three consecutive dry years.

The state still likely needs several consecutive wet winters, but the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report offers reason for "cautious" optimism with several months left in California's wet season. This month's storms brought precipitation to most of California, pushing the Sacramento River to its highest level since Dec. 31, 2005.

Consecutive days of rain and snow led to a decrease in the percentage of the state under the Monitor's most severe drought category, called exceptional drought (D4). Last week, 55 percent of California was in the exceptional drought category. The latest report shows 32 percent of state in the D4 category.

Nearly 95 percent of the state remains under severe drought, according to the Monitor.

California's critically low water reservoirs remain well below historical average for mid-December, but Drought Monitor researchers noted "good capacity increases" of 6 to 10 percentage points in northern and central California's major reservoirs.

"It takes years to get into a drought of this severity, and it will likely take many more big storms, and years, to crawl out of it," said Jay Famiglietti, a researcher at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

A study of satellite data released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory earlier this week found that at the peak of the drought earlier this year, water storage in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins was 11 trillion gallons below normal seasonal levels.

"With several more months still left in the wet season, it is possible that additional storms similar to the ones that just occurred will continue to chip away at the long-term hydrological drought, and the addition of lower temperatures would help build the snow pack," according to the report.

Rainfall has been trending above normal in many places so far during the 2014-2015 rain season that began July 1. As of Wednesday, downtown Los Angeles had collected 4.47 inches, more than 1.4 inches more than normal to date. A year earlier, it had collected just 0.86 inch to date. Downtown San Francisco had tallied 13.40 inches, or nearly 6.5 inches more than normal to date.

But drought improvement will depend largely on this season's precipitation in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Springtime runoff from the melting Sierra Nevada mountain range snowpack supplies water for an estimated 25 million Californians. In November, the southern Sierra had received just 47 percent of its normal rain and snow so far, and the northern Sierra 79 percent.

The report noted that temperatures remained above normal, so more rain than snow was reported at higher elevations.

The tropical Pacfic Ocean phenomenon known as El Nino also could have a say in California's drought situation. The chance of El Nino weather conditions, which can potentially usher moisture into California, developing this winter for the Northern Hemisphere increased to 65 percent in December.

That figure represents an increase from last month's estimate of 58 percent.

Gov. Jerry Brown in January declared a drought emergency, and asked Californians to cut residential water use by 20 percent -- a mark that has not been met, according to recent estimates. Farmers in the Central Valley have fallowed fields and mandatory water restrictions are in effect as California faces a fourth-consecutive dry year.

A burst of snow early Thursday morning brought between a coating and an inch of snow, which is enough to create some issues, including icy roads in Litchfield County, as well as in Tolland.

Elsewhere, the temperatures are above freezing, so anything falling is just creating wet roads.

Any rain and snow showers will end quickly, then it will become partly sunny and windy, with high temperatures between 40 and 45 degrees.
 

If it is snowing where you are, send photos to shareit@nbcconnecticut.com.

Milford police have arrested three Baltimore residents after responding to a complaint of identity theft.

The police investigation began o Wednesday afternoon when authorities received a complaint from a local bank about someone at the drive-through window trying to fraudulently withdraw $3,000 from a customer’s account.

When police arrived, the car was gone, but officers were able to find it and arrested Ashley Grabenstein, 33, Lisa Kinslow, 51, and Stephan Sickle, 25, all of Baltimore, Maryland, police said.

Grabenstein had the stolen credit card and license that she was accused of using, police said.
All three suspects had heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Kinslow also had a narcotic prescription that was not stored in its original container, police said.

Grabenstein was charged with third-degree identity theft, criminal impersonation, third-degree criminal attempt to commit larceny, possession of a stolen credit card, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kinslow was charged with third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and narcotic prescription not stored in original container.

Bond for Grabenstein and Kinslow was set at $100,000.

Sickle was charged with third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond for Sickle was set at $50,000.