Fair 63°
Police & Fire
CT Man Shot, Killed In Road-Rage Incident On I-691 CT Man Shot, Killed In Road-Rage Incident On I-691
CT Man Shot, Killed In Road-Rage Incident On I-691 A 49-year-old CT man was shot and killed during a road-rage incident. Middlesex County resident Scott Kracke, of Middlefield, died of a gunshot wound around 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14 in New Haven County, on I-691 eastbound in Meriden. Connecticut State troopers responded to a report of a disturbance near Exit 2A. State police said when troopers arrived, they found Kracke with gunshot wounds. Kracke was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead, state police said. Detectives from the Central District Major Crime Squad responded to assume the investigation.  An…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
CT Man, 77, Admits Sexual Assault Of Minors, Receives Years Behind Bars CT Man, 77, Admits Sexual Assault Of Minors, Receives Years Behind Bars
CT Man, 77, Admits Sexual Assault Of Minors, Receives Years Behind Bars A Connecticut man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a minor. New Haven County resident Robert Bendel, age 77, of Meriden, was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 10, by Judge Thomas O'Keefe to eight years in prison followed by 10 years of probation. In addition, Bendel is required to register as a sex offender, maintain no contact with minors, and obey two standing criminal protective orders.   There were two victims in this case, one was under 10 when these incidents occurred and the other was under 16, Meriden Police said. O'…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Trooper Hospitalized After Car Slams Into Parked Cruiser On I-91 In CT During Storm: Police Trooper Hospitalized After Car Slams Into Parked Cruiser On I-91 In CT During Storm: Police
Trooper Hospitalized After Car Slams Into Parked Cruiser On I-91 In CT During Storm: Police A state trooper was taken to a hospital after a car driven by a 20-year-old New York resident crashed into the back of her cruiser on a Connecticut highway amid a winter storm, police announced. The incident happened in New Haven County during a winter storm on Tuesday, Jan. 9 around 7:40 p.m., when a state police cruiser was parked in the left lane of Interstate 91 South in Meriden while helping with a call for traffic service.  According to state police, a 2016 Cadillac Escalade driven by Putnam County resident Luis Sanchez, Jr. of Brewster, age 20, was traveling south in the left la…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
28-Year-Old Man Nabbed For Robbing CT Bank After Search Warrant Execution At Inn: Police 28-Year-Old Man Nabbed For Robbing CT Bank After Search Warrant Execution At Inn: Police
28-Year-Old Man Nabbed For Robbing CT Bank After Search Warrant Execution At Inn: Police As the result of a weeks-long investigation that included a search warrant execution at an inn, a 28-year-old man faces robbery charges for robbing a Connecticut bank, police announced. Hartford County resident Matthew Kevorkian was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 2 in connection with a December robbery at a Webster Bank location in Berlin at 40 Webster Square Rd., Berlin Police announced.  The robbery was reported by the bank on Wednesday, Dec. 20, prompting an investigation. Two days later, on Friday, Dec. 22, investigators executed a search warrant at the Red Roof Inn …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
33-Year-Old Intoxicated Man Brandishes Gun At CT Mall, Police Say 33-Year-Old Intoxicated Man Brandishes Gun At CT Mall, Police Say
33-Year-Old Intoxicated Man Brandishes Gun At CT Mall, Police Say A 33-year-old Connecticut man allegedly high on some type of drug, was apprehended by police after walking through a busy mall with an exposed firearm. New Haven County resident Victor Ayala Jr., of Meriden, was nabbed by police on a scooter with a gun in plain sight on the handlebars on Saturday, Nov. 25. According to Meriden Police, around 2:30 p.m., Meriden Mall security called police to report Ayala in the mall carrying an exposed handgun. Security later reported Ayala had left the mall on a scooter with the firearm tucked on the handlebars, police said. Meriden police found Ayala on …

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Fatal Rollover Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim On I-691 Ramp Fatal Rollover Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim On I-691 Ramp
Fatal Rollover Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim On I-691 Ramp A local teenager was killed in a crash on a busy Connecticut roadway. The crash happened in New Haven County around 2:50 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 in Meriden on I-691. A 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was traveling eastbound on the Exit 1 ramp when it ran off the roadway and collided with a cable barrier in the right shoulder, according to Connecticut State Police. The Jeep then went down the roadside embankment, and rolled over before coming to an uncontrolled rest after colliding with a tree, police said. The driver was ejected during the rollover sequence and…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Flooding Creates River Of Trash On CT Road After Heavy Rain Flooding Creates River Of Trash On CT Road After Heavy Rain
Flooding Creates River Of Trash On CT Road After Heavy Rain Public works employees in a New Haven County city faced a stinky situation when they were tasked with cleaning up a street that had been covered in trash as a result of flooding.  The flooding happened on Summer Street in Meriden on Friday morning, Aug. 18 as a result of a storm system that brought heavy downpours throughout the state, dumping as much as an inch of rain.  Earlier Report: Storm System Packed With Drenching Downpours Sweeping Through Region As a result of the storm, trash containers on the street were knocked over, spilling their contents on the road, Meride…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
CT ATV, Dirt Bike Group Suspected Of Reckless Driving Nabbed, Police Say CT ATV, Dirt Bike Group Suspected Of Reckless Driving Nabbed, Police Say
CT ATV, Dirt Bike Group Suspected Of Reckless Driving Nabbed, Police Say A large group of ATV and dirt bike riders who have allegedly been causing havoc on the highways in a Connecticut city have been nabbed by police. The group has been causing problems over the past six to seven weeks in New Haven County in Meriden, said Lt. Darrin McKay of the Meriden Police. The department began an investigation led by Officer Ethan Busa into what they say is the illegal operation of ATVs and illegal dirk bikes on the roadways, McKay said. "These types of vehicles are routinely operated by individuals driving in an extremely reckless manner and these operators exhibit …

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old Charged In 'Senseless' Stabbing Death Of CT Man 19-Year-Old Charged In 'Senseless' Stabbing Death Of CT Man
19-Year-Old Charged In 'Senseless' Stabbing Death Of CT Man A 19-year-old Connecticut man has been charged with murder in what police are calling a "senseless" act of violence. The stabbing death of New Haven County resident Justin Sloan Sr., age 44, of Meriden, took place around 6:20 p.m., Saturday, July 8 in Meriden. According to Meriden Polie, officers responded to the area of the 800 block of Hanover Road for a report of a man lying in the roadway. Officers discovered a man with suspected stab wounds. Initial officers attempted to render medical aid to the victim who was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Meriden…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Business
Popular CT Pizzeria Closes After 20 Years: New Eatery To Move In Immediately Popular CT Pizzeria Closes After 20 Years: New Eatery To Move In Immediately
Popular CT Pizzeria Closes After 20 Years: New Eatery To Move In Immediately In a bittersweet turn of events, those mourning the loss of a beloved New Haven County pizzeria that closed after two decades in business will soon be able to grab a slice from a new eatery moving in to take its place.  Chef’s Hat Pizza, located in Meriden at 482 Cook Ave., permanently closed on Thursday, June 29 after 20 "unforgettable" years in business, the restaurant's owners announced on social media.  The pizzeria, which started in 2003 after founder Tacio Suarez moved to Connecticut from Puerto Rico in search of a better life, was taken over by Suarez's family once after his death i…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Lifestyle
This CT Pizza Spot Receives Rare Super High Score From Popular Pie Guru This CT Pizza Spot Receives Rare Super High Score From Popular Pie Guru
This CT Pizza Spot Receives Rare Super High Score From Popular Pie Guru If you think you've found the perfect pizza spot in Connecticut, think again.  That's what pizza guru and Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy had to say after a stop in New Haven County where he visited The Little Rendezvous, a 120-year-old eatery in Meriden, this week. After a few bites of the coal-fired yumminess, Portnoy bestowed a super rare 9.1. score on the pizza, putting their pie in the same league as Sally’s in New Haven which received a 9.2 score, making it the second highest-rated pizza in the state, according to Portnoy.  During the much-anticipated visit, owner Steve Chehotsky j…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
11 Injured After Stolen Car Crashes Into Vehicles On CT Roadway 11 Injured After Stolen Car Crashes Into Vehicles On CT Roadway
11 Injured After Stolen Car Crashes Into Vehicles On CT Roadway A three-vehicle crash at a busy Connecticut intersection allegedly caused by a man driving a stolen car injured 11 people. The crash took place in New Haven County around 4:15 p.m., Saturday, June 10 in Meriden at the intersection of Windsor Avenue at West Main Street. When officers arrived on the scene they found three vehicles with heavy damage and a total of 11 injured people, said Sgt. Stanley Zajac, of the Meriden Police. From the preliminary investigation, a 2003 Honda Accord was traveling north on North Third Street, crossing the intersection of West Main Street hitting a 2010 …

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes