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Connecticut State Police

Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Family's Stolen Grave Marker Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Family's Stolen Grave Marker
Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Family's Stolen Grave Marker Police are asking for the public's help to find a gravestone stolen from a Connecticut cemetery. A family contacted Connecticut State Police this summer after the joint granite headstone for Gloria Benard and her son Michael Benard was taken from South Cemetery in Brooklyn, Windham County. The family is offering a $2,500 reward for information on who took the Twilight Red stone, state police said. An anonymous benefactor who heard of the theft paid to replace the grave marker, but the family wants the original back and the person who took it punished.  Police are asking anyone with i…
CT Prison Guard Charged With Assaulting Elderly Inmate CT Prison Guard Charged With Assaulting Elderly Inmate
CT Prison Guard Charged With Assaulting Elderly Inmate A Connecticut prison guard turned himself over to police earlier this week after authorities accused him of assaulting an elderly inmate earlier this year, police said.  Todd Blevons, 42, of Uncasville, was charged with assault in the third degree on an elderly person, Connecticut State Police said on Thursday, Nov. 21. Police began investigating Blevons after an inmate at Corrigan Correctional Center in Montville accused him of using excessive force in April, authorities said.  A police report obtained by WTNH said Blevons threw the 66-year-old inmate to the ground, jumped …
39-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Fatal Crash With Tractor Trailer: Police 39-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Fatal Crash With Tractor Trailer: Police
39-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Fatal Crash With Tractor Trailer: Police A 39-year-old woman who was a passenger in a car involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer on I-84 in Connecticut has died, authorities said. Gennesse Alicea, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, was riding in a Hyundai Elantra that collided with a UPS tractor-trailer near Exit 71 in Willington at about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, according to Connecticut State Police. Related: Southbridge Man ID'd as Victim in Fatal Connecticut Crash An initial investigation found that the Hyundai clipped the truck's front bumper while changing lanes, causing the car to spin out of control and stop in the …
Quick-Thinking Driver Forces Drunk CT Woman With Kids In Car To Pull Over: Police Quick-Thinking Driver Forces Drunk CT Woman With Kids In Car To Pull Over: Police
Quick-Thinking Driver Forces Drunk CT Woman With Kids In Car To Pull Over: Police A Connecticut woman caught driving while drunk and with three children in her uninsured SUV could have caused a crash if not for a quick-thinking driver who forced her off the road, authorities said.  Michelle Bullett, 36, of Hartford, was arrested Tuesday night, Nov. 19, after multiple people called 911 to report an SUV swerving along I-91, Connecticut State Police said. The calls came in around 8 p.m. when her silver Volvo SUV was spotted swerving along the interstate near Exit 24 in Wethersfield. Police later found her pulled over near Exit 21 in Cromwell after another driver positi…
CT Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On Bag: Police CT Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On Bag: Police
CT Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On Bag: Police A Connecticut man was arrested at Bradley International Airport TSA agents found a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag at a TSA security checkpoint, authorities said.  Jason Hines, 38, of Ashford in Windham County, was stopped around 4:30 a.m. when TSA officers found the pistol in his bookbag during routine screening, Connecticut State Police said. The gun was loaded with nine rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine. Hines told troopers he had forgotten the firearm was in his bag when he arrived at the Windsor Locks airport. Officials arrested him without incident, and authorities char…
Alert Issued For Missing 28-Year-Old CT Man Alert Issued For Missing 28-Year-Old CT Man
Alert Issued For Missing 28-Year-Old CT Man Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a 28-year-old man who went missing in Connecticut.  Gregory Stearns was last seen in the Tolland County town of Mansfield on Monday, Nov. 18, according to Connecticut State Police.  Stearns is described as a white man who is 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He was seen wearing a dark hat, blue hoodie, dark pants, and black sneakers when he disappeared. However, police said he may have lost some layers of clothing, as he was last seen wearing gray shorts, a white t-shirt, and no shoes.  A…
Intoxicated Driver With Child In Car Nearly Crashes On CT Highway: Police Intoxicated Driver With Child In Car Nearly Crashes On CT Highway: Police
Intoxicated Driver With Child In Car Nearly Crashes On CT Highway: Police Connecticut State Police arrested a 37-year-old woman after authorities said she was driving while intoxicated with a child in her SUV and nearly hit multiple vehicles and a guardrail over the weekend. Javglad Garcia, of Providence, Rhode Island, was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17, and charged with driving under the influence, risk of injury to a child, and second-degree reckless endangerment, Connecticut State Police said. Troopers received several 911 calls about a Nissan Rogue driving east on Route 2 in East Hartford that was "all over the road," police said. Garcia allegedly nearly hit mul…
Waterbury Man ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Thomaston Crash On Route 8 Waterbury Man ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Thomaston Crash On Route 8
Waterbury Man ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Thomaston Crash On Route 8 Police have identified the driver who was killed last week after their truck left the road and burst into flames in Litchfield County.  Lester Y. Rivera-Santiago, age 43, of Waterbury, was killed on Tuesday, Nov. 12, just before 10:30 p.m. on Route 8 in Thomaston, Connecticut State Police said.  Rivera-Santiago was driving south on the highway about a mile north of exit 38 when his 2002 Dodge Ram went off the shoulder and crashed into the wire guardrail in the median. The truck burst into flames following the wreck, authorities said.  Paramedics pronounced him dead at the sc…
Drunk, Wrong-Way Driver Arrested on I-84 Ramp In Smoking SUV With Fentanyl Inside: Police Drunk, Wrong-Way Driver Arrested on I-84 Ramp In Smoking SUV With Fentanyl Inside: Police
Drunk, Wrong-Way Driver Arrested on I-84 Ramp In Smoking SUV With Fentanyl Inside: Police A Connecticut man whose blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit was stopped while driving the wrong way on an I-84 off-ramp over the weekend, authorities said. Angel Sanabria, 44, of Hartford, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies and traffic violations after police stopped his SUV, which had heavy front-end damage with smoke billowing from the engine, and fluids leaking onto the road as if he'd been in a recent crash, Connecticut State Police said. Troopers received a wrong-way driver detection alert just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Governor Street o…
Students Sent Home After Police Find Fentanyl In CT High School Bathroom Students Sent Home After Police Find Fentanyl In CT High School Bathroom
Students Sent Home After Police Find Fentanyl In CT High School Bathroom Students at a Connecticut high school were sent home early on Friday, Nov. 15, after police found fentanyl on the bathroom floor, authorities said.  The school resource officer at Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester noticed a suspicious powdery substance in one of the bathrooms just after 10:30 a.m., Connecticut State Police said. A field test showed it was fentanyl.  Cheney Tech students, teachers, and faculty were dismissed early so the powerful and potentially dead drug could be cleaned and safely removed.  “There have been no reported incidents of exposure …
37-Year-Old Killed On I-95 After Crashing Into Construction Equipment: Police 37-Year-Old Killed On I-95 After Crashing Into Construction Equipment: Police
37-Year-Old Killed On I-95 After Crashing Into Construction Equipment: Police A 37-year-old man was killed earlier this week after his car went off I-95 north in New London County and slammed into some heavy construction equipment, authorities said.  Paul Bigos, of Dighton, Massachusetts, was killed just after 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, between exits 88 and 89 in Groton, Connecticut State Police said.  Bigos lost control of his Subaru Impreza and drifted into the center median, where he crashed into an unoccupied piece of heavy machinery.  Paramedics rushed him to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, where he died of his injuries, authorities said. …
Wrong-Way Driver Collides Head-On With CT Police Cruiser In Harwinton: Cops Wrong-Way Driver Collides Head-On With CT Police Cruiser In Harwinton: Cops
Wrong-Way Driver Collides Head-On With CT Police Cruiser In Harwinton: Cops An 85-year-old man crashed into a police car while driving the wrong way on a highway in Connecticut, authorities said.  Gerald Lapointe, of Florence, Massachusetts, was cited after he crashed into a Connecticut State Police car in Harwinton in Litchfield County just after midnight on Friday, Nov. 15, police said.  In the police cruiser dash cam video of the crash, the trooper flashes his spotlight on the driver to alert him, but Lapointe continues driving south in the northbound lane of Route 8, about a mile south of exit 44, authorities said.  Daily Voice To protec…
4 Days, 2 DUIs: CT Man Busted (Again) After Driving Erratically In Front Of Police 4 Days, 2 DUIs: CT Man Busted (Again) After Driving Erratically In Front Of Police
4 Days, 2 DUIs: CT Man Busted (Again) After Driving Erratically In Front Of Police A Connecticut man who was arrested over the weekend and charged with DUI was arrested again four days later for driving while intoxicated, police said. It was the third time he’s been taken into custody for allegedly getting behind the wheel while impaired. Anthony Benvenuto, 54, of Enfield in Hartford County, was arrested just after 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, and charged with DUI, driving with a suspended Maine license, driving without insurance, and multiple traffic violations, according to Connecticut State Police. A state trooper spotted Benvenuto's truck on Interstate 91 near Exit 33…
Watertown Man, 56, Killed in I-91 Crash After Rear-Ending Trailer: Police Watertown Man, 56, Killed in I-91 Crash After Rear-Ending Trailer: Police
Watertown Man, 56, Killed in I-91 Crash After Rear-Ending Trailer: Police A 56-year-old Connecticut man was killed in a crash on I-91 in New Haven County, authorities said.  William Risley, of Watertown, died on Monday, Nov. 11, after he crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer truck on the interstate around 2 p.m., Connecticut State Police said.  According to the police report, Risley and the other vehicle were both in the center lane and had just passed exit 15 in Wallingford when the crash happened.  Paramedics rushed Risley to Midstate Hospital in Meriden, where he later died of his injuries.  The other driver, a 53-year-old man from S…
Man Peeped On Neighbor As She Bathed With Baby: Police Man Peeped On Neighbor As She Bathed With Baby: Police
Man Peeped On Neighbor As She Bathed With Baby: Police Authorities said a Connecticut woman who was bathing with her 1-year-old child caught her neighbor peeping into her window to watch them.  Joshua Gonsalves, age 34, of Andover in Hartford County, was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing in the third degree, disorderly conduct, and voyeurism, Connecticut State Police said.  The woman told police she was in the tub with her child around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when she saw a man watching them through a window. She recognized him as her neighbor: Joshua Gonsalves, police said.  Startled, she slapped the window w…
Wanted Man Runs Away After Crashing Car With His Kids Inside Wanted Man Runs Away After Crashing Car With His Kids Inside
Wanted Man Runs Away After Crashing Car With His Kids Inside A Connecticut town was ordered to stay inside after a man wanted for questioning in an armed robbery crashed his car into a pole and ran away, leaving behind his two children and a woman in the vehicle in Tolland County, authorities said.  Kyle Joseph Fortier, age 33, of Windham, is charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, interfering with an officer, and evading responsibility, Connecticut State Police said.  Fortier was driving along Brandy Street in Bolton when he hit a telephone pole near Hanover Farms Road and spun out around 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1., …
'I Never Intended To Shoot Anyone': Man Turns Himself In Over Road Rage Incident 'I Never Intended To Shoot Anyone': Man Turns Himself In Over Road Rage Incident
'I Never Intended To Shoot Anyone': Man Turns Himself In Over Road Rage Incident A 69-year-old Connecticut man said he didn't plan to shoot anyone after waving his pistol at a driver who had cut him off in traffic, authorities said.  Joaquim Pereira, of Wethersfield of Hartford County, is charged with first-degree threatening with a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, and second-degree breach of peace in connection with the road rage incident, Connecticut State Police said. Pereira turned himself over to police on an unrelated warrant on Thursday, Oct. 30.  The alleged incident happened on Aug. 10, when a driver said they "accidentally" cut …
Drunk Teen Clocked Going 100+ MPH In Harwinton On Route 8: Police Drunk Teen Clocked Going 100+ MPH In Harwinton On Route 8: Police
Drunk Teen Clocked Going 100+ MPH In Harwinton On Route 8: Police A 19-year-old Connecticut man was busted going more than 100 miles per hour while intoxicated in Litchfield County last week, authorities said.  Jack Reynolds, of Harwinton in Litchfield County, was arrested and charged with having a weapon in a motor vehicle, reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs under 21 years of age, and failure to maintain proper lane, Connecticut State Police said.  Troopers clocked Reynolds at 109 mph in a 65 mph zone around 1:10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct 30, on Route 8 in Litchfield, authorities said.  The trooper got behind …
'Gone Too Soon': Friends Mourn 23-Year-Old Killed In Motorcycle Crash 'Gone Too Soon': Friends Mourn 23-Year-Old Killed In Motorcycle Crash
'Gone Too Soon': Friends Mourn 23-Year-Old Killed In Motorcycle Crash Loved ones of a Connecticut man killed in a crash on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 24, said he was a caring, funny, and loving young man. Peter Bienasz, of Plainville in Hartford County, was riding behind a Toyota Prius on Route 72 near the I-84 on-ramp, when he crashed into the back of the car, causing him to slam into a metal guardrail around 12:14 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, Connecticut State Police said. He was tossed from his bike and died at the scene.  Original Report: Police Detail Crash That Killed 23-Year-Old Motorcyclist Facebook/Peter Bienasz Memorials poured in on social medi…
23-Year-Old Killed In Wreck After Motorcycle Crashes Into Guardrail: Police 23-Year-Old Killed In Wreck After Motorcycle Crashes Into Guardrail: Police
23-Year-Old Killed In Wreck After Motorcycle Crashes Into Guardrail: Police A 23-year-old Connecticut man was killed Thursday, Oct. 24, when he wrecked his motorcycle into a guardrail, authorities said.  Peter Bienasz, of Plainville in Hartford County, was riding behind a Toyota Prius on Route 72 near the I-84 on-ramp, when he crashed into the back of the car, causing him to careen into a metal guardrail around 12:14 p.m., Connecticut State Police said.  Bienasz was thrown from his motorcycle, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, authorities said.  The Prius' driver and passenger, both of New Britain, were not injured in the Plainville c…
Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police
Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police A 63-year-old Connecticut woman told police for years she and another person were the target of an ongoing online harassment campaign that lasted years by an anonymous person who made their lives miserable. But she was sending the messages and threats, police in New Haven County said.  Deborah Ann Calloutas, age 63, of Wolcott, is facing several felonies linked to the alleged faked harassment that went on for years, Connecticut State Police said.  Calloutas first reached out to police in 2021 to say she and her unnamed friend were the targets of hackers who were doctoring their ph…
Secretary Stole $40K From CT High School For Amazon Shopping Sprees: Cops Secretary Stole $40K From CT High School For Amazon Shopping Sprees: Cops
Secretary Stole $40K From CT High School For Amazon Shopping Sprees: Cops Police are accusing a secretary at a Connecticut high school of using the administration's Amazon account to spend more than $40,000 over five years on gifts for herself and other employees at the Tolland County school, authorities said.  Christine Vardanian, age 56, of Marlborough in Hartford County, is charged with first-degree larceny, Connecticut State Police said on Wednesday, Oct. 23. She was later released after posting a $5,000 bail, authorities said.  Vardanian worked as a secretary at RHAM High School and had access to the district's Amazon account. School officials beca…
2 Killed In Fiery Crash ID'd As 39-Year-Old Woman, 59-Year-Old Man 2 Killed In Fiery Crash ID'd As 39-Year-Old Woman, 59-Year-Old Man
2 Killed In Fiery Crash ID'd As 39-Year-Old Woman, 59-Year-Old Man Connecticut police have identified the man and woman who were killed after their car crashed into a tree and burst into flames earlier this month in Hartford County.  Tiffany Cormier, age 39, and Russell "Russ" Bunn, 59, both of Bristol, were identified as the victims in a single-vehicle crash at 61 Johnnycake Mountain Road in Burlington just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, Connecticut State Police said. Original Report: 2 Killed After Car Careens Off Road Into Tree Police said Cormier was behind the wheel of a Ford Taurus that veered onto the shoulder of the road for an unk…
Tractor-Trailer Rollover Crash Causes Fuel Spill, Sends Several To Hospital Tractor-Trailer Rollover Crash Causes Fuel Spill, Sends Several To Hospital
Tractor-Trailer Rollover Crash Causes Fuel Spill, Sends Several To Hospital Several people were hospitalized Sunday night, Oct. 20, after a tractor-trailer rollover crash that spilled fuel along I-84 in Hartford County, police said.  The crash was reported around 11:30 p.m. near eastbound Exit 39 after a car crashed into the truck carrying produce, causing it to roll, Connecticut State Police said.  The truck landed on its side and leaked fuel along the highway. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the crash to deal with the clean-up, authorities said.  Several people were injured in the crash, though none of their…
Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Route 8 Head-On Collision Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Route 8 Head-On Collision
Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Route 8 Head-On Collision A 30-year-old Connecticut man was killed early Sunday morning, Oct. 20, after driving the wrong way on a highway and crashing into an oncoming car in New Haven County, authorities said.  Aron Tyrell Vann, of Waterbury in New Haven County, drove south in the northbound lanes along Route 8 in Waterbury when his Nissan Altima collided with a Jeep Cherokee just after 3 a.m., Connecticut State Police said.  Paramedics rushed Vann to Waterbury Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.  The Jeep driver, a 36-year-old from Allentown, Pennsylvania, suffered minor injurie…
28-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In Rollover Crash After Truck Hits Stone Wall 28-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In Rollover Crash After Truck Hits Stone Wall
28-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In Rollover Crash After Truck Hits Stone Wall A 28-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Thursday morning, Oct. 18, in Hartford County, authorities said.  Guage Reichler was driving his Chevrolet Trailblazer along Stafford Avenue in Burlington just before 9 a.m. when his truck veered off the road for an unknown reason, crashed into a stone wall, and rolled over, Connecticut State Police said.  Paramedics pronounced the Burlington man dead at the scene, authorities said.  The circumstances around the crash are under investigation. Authorities ask anyone who witnessed the wreck or has dashcam …
Drunk, Uninsured Wrong-Way Driver Collides With Car On I-84: Police Drunk, Uninsured Wrong-Way Driver Collides With Car On I-84: Police
Drunk, Uninsured Wrong-Way Driver Collides With Car On I-84: Police Connecticut police say an intoxicated, unlicensed, and uninsured driver collided with an oncoming car, causing a chain-reaction crash, and then running away earlier this week. Wilmer Vizcaino, 29, of Waterbury in New Haven County, faces several felonies from the 9 p.m. crash on Wednesday, Oct. 16, Connecticut State Police said.  Troopers in East Hartford were notified of the wrong-way driver when a detection censor went off about a minute before the crash at Exit 56 on I-84. Investigators said Vizcaino crashed head-on with a car taking the ramp, which sent that vehicle careening i…
Arsonist Torches $1M Worth Of Vehicles In Secluded Construction Yard Arsonist Torches $1M Worth Of Vehicles In Secluded Construction Yard
Arsonist Torches $1M Worth Of Vehicles In Secluded Construction Yard Connecticut State Police are asking for the public's help to track down an arsonist who caused $1 million in damages after they torched construction equipment in Hartford County.  Hammonasset Construction told police that someone set ablaze several vehicles parked in a secluded construction yard near exit 39A on I-84 in Farmington, authorities said.  The company said the fire happened over the weekend, Oct. 12-13.  Investigators said the fires would have been visible from both sides of the interstate. They ask anyone who saw the fire or has information on who set i…
2 Killed In Fiery Crash After Car Careens Into Tree 2 Killed In Fiery Crash After Car Careens Into Tree
2 Killed In Fiery Crash After Car Careens Into Tree Two people were killed this weekend in a fiery car crash in Hartford County, authorities said.  A Ford Taurus crashed near 61 Johnnycake Mountain Road in Burlington just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, Connecticut State Police said.  The Ford veered onto the shoulder of the road for an unknown reason before hitting a mailbox and being launched into a tree, police said. The car burst into flames, killing the passenger and driver.  Police have not released their names as they notify their next of kin.  The crash remains under investigation.  Officials ask anyon…
Semi-Pro Football Player Killed In CT Rollover Crash On I-91 Semi-Pro Football Player Killed In CT Rollover Crash On I-91
Semi-Pro Football Player Killed In CT Rollover Crash On I-91 A 22-year-old man who was a star running back for a Connecticut semi-pro football team was killed after crashing his car on I-91 in Hartford County, authorities said.  Davian Andrew Pallotto, of Prospect in New Haven County, died after he rolled his 2007 Cadillac CTS around 11:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, Connecticut State Police said.  Pallotto was driving north on I-91 when he veered across a lane of traffic onto a grassy median, where the car lost control near Exit 23 and began to tumble, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.  Pallotto played running …
'Words Can't Express This Pain': Woman Killed In Trumbull Crash Remembered As Beloved Friend 'Words Can't Express This Pain': Woman Killed In Trumbull Crash Remembered As Beloved Friend
'Words Can't Express This Pain': Woman Killed In Trumbull Crash Remembered As Beloved Friend Friends and family of a 40-year-old Connecticut woman who was killed earlier this week when the car she was riding in crashed into a stone wall say she was kind, caring, and effortlessly cool.  Marie Nieves, of Bridgeport, died on Friday, Oct. 11, in a single-car crash on Route 8 in Trumbull, Connecticut State Police said.  Investigators say the Mercedes she was in suddenly veered onto the grassy shoulder near Exit 6 around 11 a.m. before crashing into the wall. The driver, a 60-year-old Bridgeport man, was seriously injured in the crash.  Paramedics rushed them both to …