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Fire at Norwich Apartment Complex

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Norwich firefighters have responded to Cedar Garden Apartments on Cedar Street for a fire in the apartment building.

No further information is available.


Lawmakers Consider Labeling Genetically Modified Food

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Whole Foods market made news last week when the company decided to label genetically modified foods and Connecticut state lawmakers will take up the hotly contested debate on Friday.  

If the bill passes, Connecticut would be the first state in the nation to label genetically modified food.

Lawmakers will hear from experts on both sides of the issue as they consider a bill that would require labeling genetically engineered food.

The federal government and scientists have stated that GMOs are safe, while some advocates said labels help people make better food decisions.

The Center for Food Safety says several studies have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration looked into genetically modified foods and only weighed in on voluntary labeling. “While the use of bioengineering is not a material fact, many consumers are interested in the information, and some manufacturers may want to respond to this consumer desire,” their recommendation states. 
More than 100 people in support of the bill are expected to be at the hearing, which starts at 10:30 a.m.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are also considering labeling genetically modified food.

 

Layoffs at ClearEdge Power in South Windsor

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Employees of ClearEdge Power in South Windsor are being laid off on Friday, about a month after ClearEdge Power, based in Oregon, acquired UTC Power, which manufactures fuel cells.

Company officials said there are cuts to the 39 percent of the company, across four locations, but did not state how many layoffs there are in South Windsor.

Most employees affected work in the transportation fuel cell business and the company is refocusing on stationary fuel cells, according to ClearEdge.

Police were requested on Friday morning and a spokesperson from ClearEdge said police were called in as standard protocol. There have been no incidents.

South Windsor Police Chief Matthew Reed Tweeted that 170 employees were laid off. 

Company officials said there are fewer than 170 layoffs, but would not provide a number. 

ClearEdge officials said the company will maintain a presence and all employees who have been laid off will receive severance packages and career counseling services.


 

 

Hashtag May Be Coming to Facebook: Report

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Facebook may soon be taking another page from Twitter's playbook by incorporating the hashtag into its service.

The social media site is working on ways to allow users to click on a hashtag to follow trending topics on the web, according to The Wall Street Journal. But it may be awhile before users see the hashtag show up on their news feed.

"It is unclear how far along Facebook's work on the hashtag is and the feature isn't likely to be introduced imminently," unnamed sources tell The Journal.

A hashtag, made popular by Twitter, precedes a word or phrase with a pound (#) symbol and serves as a way to organize and search tweets about an event, idea or person. The function gives users more reason to "stay logged in and see more ads."

Facebook has already mimicked some of Twitter's other features, like the ability to create "subscriber" lists and the use of the "@" sign to mention and tag people.

Instagram, which Facebook purchased for $1 billion last year, employs hashtags to allow users to sort photos by categories.



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Ides of March Brings Talks of Caesar, Shakespeare

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Hot on the heels of Pi Day, the Ides of March is another day ripe for geeks who love history and Shakespeare.

For those who don't know, the Ides of March started as an innocuous term that refers to March 15 on the Roman calendar. The "ides" is simply the midpoint of the month.

The date was made infamous by the assassination of Julius Caesar who was stabbed to death by Brutus and Cassius at a senate meeting in 44 B.C. William Shakespeare coined the phrase "beware the Ides of March." It was uttered by a soothsayer in the play "Julius Caesar" to foreshadow the Roman leader's impending death at the hands of his colleagues.

Here is a fun crash course about Julius Caesar that answers the question "When, if ever, is it ok to stab someone 23 times?"

Since then, people around the world have found creative ways to observe the ominous day.

Time Magazine rounded up the 15 most notable assassinations in history with their Ides of March slideshow, while The Smithsonian provided 10 reasons to fear the Ides of March. Case in point: NASA reported of a growing hole in the ozone hovering over the North Pole in 1988, "The Ed Sullivan Show" was canceled in 1971 and the World Health Organization reported a growing number of SARS cases in 2003.

For some, the occasion served as a teaching moment. Students at Massachusetts' Taunton High School reenacted parts of the Shakespeare play for their fellow classmates in a tradition that started over 50 years ago, according to the Taunton Daily Gazette.

Caesar's dying breath has become a teaching tool in high school and college chemistry classes everywhere, according to NPR, who said that people today are still breathing in molecules from his last breath.

But the Ides of March is not all doom and gloom.

"Ides of March" was trending on Twitter early Friday with funny quips from celebrities like sex expert Dr. Ruth.

"The Ides of March were unlucky for Julius Caesar but here's hoping you get 'lucky' on this Ides," she tweeted.

Danbury, Conn. mayor Mark Boughton chimed in with "The Ides of March are upon u. Stay thirsty my friends."

And lastly, Caesar salad and bloody Caesar recipes from the web can help toga party revelers get in the spirit on this otherwise foreboding occasion.

“Angel” Spotted in South Florida Sky, Residents Say

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Several South Florida residents witnessed what they described as an angel in the clouds, WPTV reported.

Various pictures were taken of what looks like a clear sky, with a noticeable pink cloud that resembles an angel.

It happened the day Pope Francis was announced and some Catholics saw it as a possible sign from God.

Pope Francis Shows Humility on His First Day

“The pope asked to pray for Him,” Cat Sunn told WPTV. “God answered.”

But others found numerous explanations as to what the cloud could be.

Cristina Pina told WPTV that the clouds looked more like a monkey than an angel, Nick Stanley said he saw the dark lord, or Lucifer. Steve Massie said that seeing shapes and faces in non-human objects was simply something he called "pareidolia."

Radio Paz General Manager Excited That Pope Francis Can Speak to Station's Audience Without Translation

Thousands have viewed the photo on social media, giving the cloud many different interpretations.



Photo Credit: WPTV

Roach Infestation Forces Bus to Pull Over, Evacuate

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A Greyhound bus bound for New York City had to pull over and evacuate Friday because it was infested with roaches that dropped from the ceiling and skittered across seats and the floor, terrorizing riders.

Mothers tried to shield their children and riders jumped into the aisle of the bus as roaches bolted out of cracks and crevices, seemingly all at once, about 15 minutes after the 10 a.m. bus left Atlantic City, passengers told NBC 4 New York.

"All of a sudden the roaches came out of nowhere, they were on the floor, they were falling from the ceiling," said Andy Rodriguez, a passenger.

Tracy Harmon told NBC 4 New York that "people were shrieking and shaking roaches off."

"It was terrible," she said.

The bus was carrying 48 people and an unknown number of roaches, according to Greyhound.

"Once the driver became aware of the situation, the driver followed procedures by pulling the bus over to a safe location and notifying our dispatch office," Greyhound spokesman Timothy Stokes said.

A second bus was sent to pick up the passengers, and they later arrived at Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Greyhound said the company apologizes and has refunded the trip for all the passengers.



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Putnam Police Look for Man Who Followed Girl this Morning

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Putnam Police are looking for the man who followed a girl as she was heading to middle school on Friday morning.

A girl who attends Putnam Middle School told police that a man followed her on foot on Woodstock Avenue as she was walking to school at 7:45 a.m. on Friday.

The man did not say anything to her. There was no physical contact and he did not try to make physical contact, according to police.  

The man is in his 40s, of average height and medium build, and has short, dark hair, police said. He was wearing blue jeans. 

Putnam police will be conducting additional patrols of the area to ensure all students’ safety.

Anyone who saw the incident should call the Putnam Police Department at 860-928-6565 or the anonymous tip hotline at 860-963-0000.


Greyhound Injured in Clinton

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A greyhound was attacked by a pit bull and another dog in Clinton early on Monday morning and police are looking for the dogs that attacked.

A female was walking her greyhound in the area of Pleasant Valley and Carter Hill roads around 6 a.m. on March 11 when she heard a growl and a brown pit bull wearing a red collar or bandana or a smaller black short-haired mixed breed.

Anyone with information about the dogs should call Clinton animal control at 860-669-1777.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jerry, of Ben & Jerry’s, Lobbies for GMO Labeling

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The hearing about legislation to label genetically modified foods was expected to draw a crowd and it did.

Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, was one of many people who attended the hearing.

He was there to testify in favor of HB 6519, which would require the labeling of genetically modified food sold in the state.

If the bill passes, Connecticut would be the first state in the nation to label genetically modified food.

“Increasingly, Americans are demanding openness and transparency in our food supply. Ben & Jerry’s is proud to stand with the people of Connecticut by supporting mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods,” he said, according to a statement released.

The issue is a hotly debated one. The federal government and scientists have stated that GMOs are safe, while some advocates said labels help people make better food decisions.

Ben & Jerry’s company plans to switch to all non-GMO ingredients by the end of the year.

Greenfield and Ben & Jerry’s has also been a key ally in the effort to win mandatory labeling of GMOs in his home state of Vermont, and delighted legislators and activists with not only his testimony, but also samples of his famous ice cream.

UConn Students Donate Books to African High School

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Many college students study abroad to travel the world and experience new things. One group of UConn students decided to do it a little differently.

Anna Burbank, Allie Ball, Patrick Clarke and Liz Sarant went to Cape Town, South Africa to make a difference.

They were horrified to discover that the students of the Nyanga township’s Sithembele Matiso High School spend most of their academic careers without access to books. The school library is an empty room with two broken shelves and some old furniture, according to Clarke. To say resources are limited would be an understatement.

After seeing these modest conditions, the four students asked administrators how they could help. The answer came in the form of Books For Nyanga, a state-wide book drive to benefit the high school library.

After founding the organization, Burbank, Ball, Clarke and Sarant reached out to their friends back home. They rallied support on Facebook and Twitter and set up an online donation form. Donations immediately began pouring in.

“It’s just blown up into this huge project. It’s amazing the support we’ve gotten,” Burbank said.

The Books For Nyanga initiative has collected more than 90 boxes of books in just four weeks. Student volunteers at UConn’s Storrs campus planned to meet Friday to prepare the donated books for shipment. UPS employee John Buonaiuto, a friend of Anna’s father, Harold Burbank, asked the company to help cover shipping costs.

The founders are keeping all the details under wraps in an effort to surprise high school students at the end of the semester. They hope to unveil the new library in an April ceremony.

This is the first time UConn students in Cape Town have tackled a project of this magnitude. Clarke said he hopes Books For Nyanga will inspire others to give back to communities in need. He said the founders are excited about the support and publicity they’ve received, but they don’t want to be heroes. They want the attention to remain on the high school and its students.

“We don’t want us to be the main focus of it,” Clarke said.

Connecticut native Ralph Nader showed his support by donating a large box of books from his home in Winsted, according to Harold Burbank.

The Books For Nyanga founders plan to keep their mission alive even after returning to the States. They hope to visit Nygana a few years from now to reconnect with students and teachers and see the fruits of their labor.

To donate to Books For Nyanga, click here.   

For more information, contact Harold Burbank by phone at 860-693-2687 or haroldburbanki@comcast.net, or Coleen Spurlock of UConn Women’s, Gender and Sexual Studies at coleen.spurlock@uconn.edu.



Photo Credit: Books For Nyanga

Man to Visit 788 Facebook Friends in Person

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Of the hundreds of friends most of us have on Facebook, we will probably never have a conversation with most of them, never mind meet them face-to-face -- unless you are Ty Morin, of Burlington.

The 23-year-old Hartford Art School grad plans to travel to visit every single one of his original 788 Facebook friends in person and photograph them -- not with an iPhone or a digital camera, but with an old-fashioned 8X10 camera.  

His project is called “Friend Request: Accepted.”

Morin estimates that it will take about an hour to photograph each person.

The other part is a documentary that captures the passion that Morin’s friends have for the things they love to do, whether it is sculpting, dance or body building.  

“I think it’s important to remember that everyone has a story,” Morin said, even if it’s not right there on the surface. 

So far, the response has been positive.

“Everyone’s onboard for helping out,” Morin said.

He admits there have been a couple awkward instances along the way. It’s something that has to be expected when you show up on the doorstep of someone you have not seen since middle school and ask them to show off their talents on film and video.

Initially, Morin was hoping that the people in his original friend list would help him get this project growing and they delivered by spreading the word online.

In February, Morin posted the idea on Kickstarter, a site where you come up with an idea and ask people to donate money to fund it.

He was looking for $5,000 to pay for the film. He has received more than $7,000 and there are 11 days left of the fundraising campaign as of Friday.

Morin will set off on a road trip at the end of April and hopes to photograph about 150 friends by the end of the year. 

“It’s quite a big task to take on by myself,” he said, so he is looking to his artistic friends to travel with him and help out on the documentary part of the project.

“(I’m) looking to use a lot of friends in any way I can to help me with this,” he said.

Morin knows this project will take years it will be worth it if he reaches his goal of exhibiting the photo series in a New York gallery that can handle 788 pictures. 

“It would be a really cool experience,” he said. “Kind of bring everyone back together.”’

He’d love the documentary to make it into film festivals, like SXSW or Sundance.

His other goal is to help people who have not found their passion to realize what they love to do.
“My passion is photos and this project is allowing me to do that. I want other people to do what they are passionate about,” Morin said.

You can learn more about the project on the Kickstarter Web site or on Ty’s blog.


 
 

Man to Visit 788 Facebook Friends in Person

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Of the hundreds of friends most of us have on Facebook, we will probably never have a conversation with most of them, never mind meet them face-to-face — unless you are Ty Morin, of Burlington, Conn.

The 23-year-old Hartford Art School grad plans to travel to visit every single one of his original 788 Facebook friends in person and photograph them — not with an iPhone or a digital camera, but with an old-fashioned 8x10 camera.  

His project is called "Friend Request: Accepted."

Morin estimates that it will take about an hour to photograph each person.

The other part is a documentary that captures the passion that Morin's friends have for the things they love to do, whether it is sculpting, dance or body-building.  

"I think it’s important to remember that everyone has a story," Morin said, even if it’s not right there on the surface. 

So far, the response has been positive.

"Everyone’s onboard for helping out," Morin said.

He admits there have been a couple awkward instances along the way. It's something that has to be expected when you show up on the doorstep of someone you have not seen since middle school and ask them to show off their talents on film and video.

Initially, Morin was hoping that the people in his original friend list would help him get this project growing and they delivered by spreading the word online.

In February, Morin posted the idea on Kickstarter, a site where you come up with an idea and ask people to donate money to fund it.

He was looking for $5,000 to pay for the film. He has received more than $7,000, and there are 11 days left of the fundraising campaign as of Friday.

Morin will set off on a road trip at the end of April and hopes to photograph about 150 friends by the end of the year. 

"It's quite a big task to take on by myself," he said, so he is looking to his artistic friends to travel with him and help out on the documentary part of the project.

"(I'm) looking to use a lot of friends in any way I can to help me with this," he said.

Morin knows this project will take years but says it will be worth it if he reaches his goal of exhibiting the photo series in a New York gallery that can handle 788 pictures. 

"It would be a really cool experience," he said. "Kind of bring everyone back together."

He'd love the documentary to make it into film festivals, like SXSW or Sundance.

His other goal is to help people who have not found their passion to realize what they love to do.

"My passion is photos, and this project is allowing me to do that. I want other people to do what they are passionate about," Morin said.

You can learn more about the project on the Kickstarter Web site or on Ty’s blog.


 
 

3 Dead in Small Plane Crash

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Three people died when a twin-engine plane crashed in a parking lot in Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The three people who perished had been aboard the small aircraft, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesman Matt Little said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Piper PA31 aircraft left from Runway 08 at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at about 4:20 p.m. The crash occurred just moments later. Little said firefighters responded at 4:21 p.m.

After the local flight took off, the plane banked to the right before it crashed into parked vehicles near a warehouse at 964 NE 53rd Court, Little said.

"Our guys tell us there are some fatalities here, and it’s just a tragedy," Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler said.

VIDEO: Firefighters at Scene of Plane Crash

The three men who died were flying on an avionics check, meaning that they were checking the airplane's instrumentation and communications systems, airport sources told NBC 6.

The plane took off from a runway facing east. Shortly after takeoff there was a double engine failure, and the pilot attempted to return to the field and land on Runway 31, which faces the north and west, the sources said. The plane then made a steep right turn, stalled, spun and crashed into the parking lot, they said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will make the final determination about what happened.

Whitney Ribak, who was standing in the parking lot of BJ's Wholesale Club nearby, said she heard the surreal sound before impact. She likened it to something "in the movies, when you hear a plane coming down out of the sky with just this high-pitched engine."

"And I live in the neighborhood, so I knew something was wrong. I looked up just as the plane banked and crashed behind the Starlight Lounge on Powerline Road," Ribak said. "It exploded, big black smoke billowing up. I kept hearing other explosions. I was shaking. I was trying to call 911."

Before she could get 911 from her phone, she said, ambulances and sirens were coming from every direction.

NBC 6 Videos

Ebbey Davis was working nearby when the crash occurred.

“I heard the plane fluctuating, and when I looked back up in the air, I saw when the plane was trying to make a turn and the wings were facing up and down, straight up and down, and it went down slanted into the building," he said.

After he heard a loud boom, Davis and a few other people ran over to see what was happening.

“And by that time everything was in flames over there. Some of the cars started exploding a little bit because of the gas and everything," he said.

Firefighters doused flames on numerous vehicles after the crash, as smoke billowed from the site. Eight vehicles, a boat and a camper were destroyed.

A lone propeller was visible in the wreckage, aerial footage showed.

Little said the plane was believed to be based in Fort Lauderdale.

Four Rescued From Small Plane Crash in Biscayne Bay

No injuries were reported on the ground.

“The only thing that we can really think that would be the fortunate part of it is, like you said, that no one was in the area when this plane crashed and that it did not strike a building or land on top of a building or in the roadway,” Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman Detective DeAnna Garcia said.

More Local Stories:

 



Photo Credit: Fort Lauderdale plane crash aftermath

Japanese Wrestler-Turned-Politician Banned from Meetings for Mask

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A signature mask may have won a Japanese pro wrestler-turned-politician his votes — but it could put his political career at risk.
 
Skull Reaper A-ji, 44, a former professional wrestler, has been banned from attending his local city council meetings for refusing to take off his wrestling mask, the U.K.'s Telegraph reported.

The other members of the Oita city council decided that A-ji would not be allowed to attend council meetings in his mask, saying his wearing it violates council rules.
 
However, A-ji doesn’t plan on removing his mask anytime soon.

"People find it easy to come up and talk to me because I have a mask on," he told local newspaper Nishinippon Shimbun.
 
“If I take my mask off, I'm an entirely different person," he told Nikkan Sports.

A-ji was elected to his seat in the city of Oita last month after campaigning in his mask for education reform and improved social welfare facilities, according to the Telegraph.
 
Skull Reaper is not the first masked politician to be elected in Japan. Two former professional wrestlers — known as Super Delfin and The Great Sasuke in their previous jobs — were elected in recent years and faced similar criticism, the Telegraph reported.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Shot By Willimantic Police Identified

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State Police have identified the hatchet-wielding man shot and killed by Willimantic police officers.

Police responded to an apartment building at Main and Clark streets just before 8 p.m.  Tuesday after someone reported that a man was acting in a threatening manner outside the building, according to state police.

When officers arrived, they found Daniel Johnston, 58,  with a hatchet

There was some sort of confrontation between the officers and Johnston, according to state police.  Police told Johnston to put down the hatchet, but he did not.

One Willimantic officer used a stun gun and the other shot his service weapon, according to state police.

Emergency crews brought the Johnston to Windham Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Major Crimes Squad was been called in and an investigation will be conducted to determine whether the shooting was justified.

The two officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative duty.

Pizza Man Thwarts Robbers

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Fatih Burhan may have passed his last pizza to a delivery customer.  It was on his return to his car in West Haven just before 9:45 p.m. Thursday  that a man ran at him from across Elm Street.

"He came fast and he just said, Stop!  Just give me everything!'" said Burhan, a student from Turkey. "He showed a gun, he put the gun to my head."

Burhan heard a sound that made him think the gun was plastic, so he decided to give the robber nothing, figuring someone would drive by on busy Elm Street.

"He was saying, 'I'm not kidding, I'm gonna kill you if you don't give,'" said Burhan.

The only person to appear was a second robber, who punched Burhan in the head.  Burhan decided to run down Elm Street.

"I heard the gunshots five times," he said.  He's not still not sure the gun was real, though the sound was convincing enough for neighbors to come out of their homes.  The robbers took off running, and three West Haven police officers arrived.

Even though Burhan lost no money, his head ached the day after.  He's only been delivering pizzas for six weeks for USA Empire Pizza.  He said if he does decide to continue delivering pizzas, "I'll be careful".

Detectives Search for Clues after Human Remains Found

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Police in Vernon intensified their search Friday after the discovery of human remains.  Investigators spent the day looking for clues after someone stumbled upon what appeared to be a human skull by the old landfill near West Street on Wednesday.

Detectives scoured the dense property with cadaver dogs on Friday, and said they recovered a significant amount of evidence, although they would not specify on what that evidence could be. They also had no indication of who the remains belonged to.
 
“I'm just hoping it’s Lisa, so we could end this thing,” said Gerald Kelly.  He questioned if the skull was Lisa White’s. He would have been her stepfather. 

Lisa vanished when she was 13 back in 1974, and lived just a short distance from the search site.

“It was brutal, it was brutal,” he added.
 
Kelly said police told White’s loved ones the skull belonged to a young woman.  Sources close to the family tell NBC Connecticut, White used to play in the area by the landfill and authorities asked the family for dental records.

“If this gets out there enough someone’s going to say who did what when,” Kelly explained.
 
People in the Vernon community also wondered if the remains belonged with Lisa White, or two other girls who vanished decades ago.  Janice Pockett from Tolland was last seen in July of 1973.

Debra Spickler was visiting family in Vernon when she went missing in July of 1968.  Police would not speculate on any of this.

“It’s a very active and very early investigation so we can't comment on any evidence or our findings right now,” said Lt. William Meier. 
 
Detectives said it could take a while to find some answers, and their results might give a family some closure. “You would like to get the person responsible that's number one,” said Gerald Kelly.
 
Vernon Police told NBC Connecticut they would search the property through the weekend, and possibly into next week.
 

 



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut/Debra Bogstie

Man Wearing Surgical Mask Robs Bank

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A man wearing a surgical mask over his face robbed a Waterbury bank Friday night.

According to authorities, the suspect threatened he had a gun and demanded cash from the teller. The incident occurred at a TD Bank on West Main Street.

The man did not show a weapon and apparently fled on foot. Police describe the suspect as a black male, wearing a beige jacket.

An undisclosed amount of money was taken, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Waterbury Police at 203-574-6911.

Quick Thinking Teen Alerts Police of Burglar

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A Southbury teen got an unwelcome surprise upon entering her Skyview Drive home after school on Wednesday.

As she walked in one door, she heard a burglar running out another.
The quick thinking 15-year old noticed the intruder jump into a Blue SUV and leave following her school bus.

“First thing I did was call my friend on the bus and asked if she saw the license plate,” said the teen whose identity is being held. “Another kid on the bus got the license plate.”

Police describe the suspect as a 5’10 white or Hispanic man with short dark hair and weighing 185-200 pounds.

They believe he was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and white pants. He may have been driving a Blue Ford Explorer with Connecticut license plates. The first three digits on those plates are 7-3-7.

Neighbors on the street remain alarmed. This break-in follows two from last October. They say the homes were burglarized immediately following Storm Sandy. All the homes on the street were without power at that time.

“I’ve been hearing over the past couple months about a house here, a house  there that got broken into,” said Thomas Shea, a Sky View Drive resident.

“ You think it’s a nice quiet neighborhood here in Southbury and then you hear this. Its kind of scary.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call Southbury police.

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