Fair 77°
Police & Fire
Former CT Police Chief, Decorated Military Veteran Dies Former CT Police Chief, Decorated Military Veteran Dies
Former CT Police Chief, Decorated Military Veteran Dies A former Connecticut police chief remembered for his compassion, military service, and decades of dedication to protecting his community has died.  George Marinelli, who served as Rocky Hill’s police chief for 10 years, died Sunday, May 24, at 81, according to the Rocky Hill Police Department. Authorities did not release his cause of death.  Marinelli spent more than three decades in law enforcement in Rocky Hill. During that time, he worked as a patrolman, youth officer, and K-9 officer before becoming chief. He retired in 2002. The department said Marinelli “continued his dedic…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Woman Convicted In 3rd OUI After Crashing Into House Days After Christmas CT Woman Convicted In 3rd OUI After Crashing Into House Days After Christmas
CT Woman Convicted In 3rd OUI After Crashing Into House Days After Christmas A Connecticut woman with two prior drunken driving convictions has now been found guilty in her third DUI case after prosecutors said she crashed into an occupied home.  Melissa Page, 44, of Willington, was convicted this week of operating under the influence as a third offender, according to Tolland Judicial District State’s Attorney Craig P. Nowak. Prosecutors said Page crashed her vehicle into a residence on Lakeview Drive in Coventry on Dec. 28, 2024. There were people inside at the time of the crash.  Page has two previous operating under the influence convictions from …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Ex-East Lyme Police Chief Arrested Again After Domestic Dispute, Adding To Troubling History Ex-East Lyme Police Chief Arrested Again After Domestic Dispute, Adding To Troubling History
Ex-East Lyme Police Chief Arrested Again After Domestic Dispute, Adding To Troubling History A former Connecticut police chief with a history of domestic violence arrests is facing yet another criminal charge after police said officers responded to a domestic dispute at his home. Michael Finkelstein, the former East Lyme police chief, was arrested Friday morning, May 22, on a charge of disorderly conduct, according to East Lyme police. Police were called to a Marion Drive home in East Lyme for a reported domestic dispute. After speaking with family members who were there during the incident, officers arrested Finkelstein and took him into custody. Authorities did not release detai…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Connecticut Man Arrested In 1986 Rape, Stabbing Murder Of Virginia Beach Woman: Police Connecticut Man Arrested In 1986 Rape, Stabbing Murder Of Virginia Beach Woman: Police
Connecticut Man Arrested In 1986 Rape, Stabbing Murder Of Virginia Beach Woman: Police A Connecticut man has been arrested decades after police say he raped and murdered a 22-year-old Virginia Beach woman whose body was found with fatal stab wounds in a field in 1986. Charles Berry, 66, was taken into custody this week in Newington in connection with his alleged role in the brutal murder of Roberta Walls 40 years ago, according to Virginia Beach Police. Walls’ body was discovered just after sunrise on May 15, 1986, in a field along Ferry Plantation Drive in Virginia Beach. Roberta Walls Virginia Beach Police Investigators determined the young woman had been sexually …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
CT Inmate Stabbed With Makeshift Weapon During Fight At Prison CT Inmate Stabbed With Makeshift Weapon During Fight At Prison
CT Inmate Stabbed With Makeshift Weapon During Fight At Prison A fight inside a Connecticut prison ended with one inmate rushed to the hospital after he was stabbed with a makeshift weapon, the Connecticut Department of Correction said. The incident happened around 6:40 p.m. Thursday at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, authorities said**.** Correctional staff found five incarcerated people fighting in the in-unit recreation area inside the Walker building. As staff members broke up the altercation, they noticed one of the inmates had been stabbed. The injured man was taken to an outside hospital for treatment. He was later relea…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Deported 3 Times, Mexican National Admits To Illegal Reentry After CT DUI Arrest Deported 3 Times, Mexican National Admits To Illegal Reentry After CT DUI Arrest
Deported 3 Times, Mexican National Admits To Illegal Reentry After CT DUI Arrest A Mexican national who had already been deported three times has admitted to illegally reentering the United States again after police say he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Connecticut.  Julio Cesar Fernandez-Salazar, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Bridgeport to unlawful reentry of a removed alien, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. Federal prosecutors said Fernandez-Salazar has used several aliases over the years, including Julio Fernandez, Paulo Cesar Salazar, Alejandro Lugo, Jorge Ortigoza, and Julio C. Fernandez-…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Driver Escapes Moments Before Car Bursts Into Flames On Route 2 Driver Escapes Moments Before Car Bursts Into Flames On Route 2
Driver Escapes Moments Before Car Bursts Into Flames On Route 2 A driver made a last-moment escape before their vehicle burst into flames late Thursday night, May 21. Firefighters were called to Route 2 at the Exit 13 off-ramp in Marlborough at about 9 p.m. and found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames. The driver managed to get out before the car was engulfed. Marlborough firefighters battled the blaze on the right shoulder of the road, forcing authorities to shut down the ramp. It's unclear what sparked the blaze. No injuries were reported.

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Ex-CT Town Youth Worker Pleads Guilty In Child Sexual Assault Case That Sparked Fallout: State Ex-CT Town Youth Worker Pleads Guilty In Child Sexual Assault Case That Sparked Fallout: State
Ex-CT Town Youth Worker Pleads Guilty In Child Sexual Assault Case That Sparked Fallout: State A former Connecticut after-school counselor has admitted to sexually assaulting children in a case that shook the town and led to sharp criticism of local leaders over how they handled the allegations. Anthony Mastrangelo, 26, of Bethany, pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges nearly two years after his arrest, according to court documents. The plea includes five counts of fourth-degree sexual assault of a victim under age 13 and five counts of risk of injury to a child. Mastrangelo was arrested in June 2024 following what authorities described as a lengthy sexual assault investigation. At …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Man Strangled, Assaulted Victim In Ledyard Domestic Violence Attack: Police CT Man Strangled, Assaulted Victim In Ledyard Domestic Violence Attack: Police
CT Man Strangled, Assaulted Victim In Ledyard Domestic Violence Attack: Police A Canterbury man is facing multiple felony charges after police said he assaulted a victim and damaged property during a domestic violence incident in Ledyard. Kyle Capozza, 36, turned himself in to Ledyard police earlier this week. The case stems from an incident reported on Saturday, May 17, according to Ledyard Police. Investigators said Capozza went to the victim’s home, damaged property, and assaulted them. Police did detail the alleged attack since it was domestic.  He is charged with: First-degree strangulation First-degree unlawful restraint Second-degree assault Third-…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Intoxicated Mass Driver Accused Of Hitting 5 Cars Before SUV Flips On I-91 In CT: Police Intoxicated Mass Driver Accused Of Hitting 5 Cars Before SUV Flips On I-91 In CT: Police
Intoxicated Mass Driver Accused Of Hitting 5 Cars Before SUV Flips On I-91 In CT: Police A Massachusetts man is accused of speeding down the shoulder of Interstate 91, sideswiping multiple cars, and rolling over his SUV in a crash on the highway in Enfield, authorities said. Eliezer Q. Perez, 30, of Springfield, was driving a Hyundai SUV when he sideswiped five vehicles just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, near Exit 49 North, according to Connecticut State Police. Police said the SUV later rolled over. Responders had to help Perez out of the wreckage. Authorities did not say if there were any injuries in the wild wreck.  Police said Perez failed a field sobriety test at t…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Ashford Woman Wakes To Naked Neighbor Masturbating Over Her During Break-In: Police Ashford Woman Wakes To Naked Neighbor Masturbating Over Her During Break-In: Police
Ashford Woman Wakes To Naked Neighbor Masturbating Over Her During Break-In: Police A woman sleeping on her couch woke up to find her naked neighbor standing over her and masturbating inside her apartment, according to state police. Laramie Briggs Jr., 44, of Ashford, is accused of breaking into the apartment on Ashford Center Rd. on Tuesday, May 20, Connecticut State Police said. The woman told troopers she woke up and found Briggs naked inside her home. Police said Briggs then began masturbating over her while she was lying on the couch. The woman shoved him out of the apartment, investigators said. Troopers later learned Briggs lived in the same apartment complex on th…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Jury Convicts CT Man In Brutal Town Green Gazebo Murder Jury Convicts CT Man In Brutal Town Green Gazebo Murder
Jury Convicts CT Man In Brutal Town Green Gazebo Murder A jury has found a Connecticut man guilty in the stabbing death of another man inside a public gazebo, closing a case that stunned residents and drew a massive police response. John Narducci, 57, of Enfield, was convicted Wednesday, May 20, of murdering Christopher Kennedy at the Enfield Town Green gazebo on Aug. 10, 2022, Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Sharmese L. Walcott said. The killing happened in one of Enfield’s most visible public spaces. The gazebo sits in the center of town surrounded by homes, businesses, and busy streets. Prosecutors said evidence placed Narducci n…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier