Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Cannot Express The Magnitude Of This Loss' Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Cannot Express The Magnitude Of This Loss'
Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash ID'd: 'Words Cannot Express The Magnitude Of This Loss' A Connecticut firefighter who was killed when the ATV he was on rolled over while battling a blaze has been identified as a grandfather and former member of the Hartford Fire Department.  Robert "Sharky" Sharkevich Sr., age 66, was working as a member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department on Tuesday, Oct. 22, fighting a brush fire that had spread to more than 90 acres on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Meriden Police said.  Sharkevich and three other firefighters were in Meriden on the southern edge of the blaze, riding a firefighting ATV that flipped around 5:30 p.m.…
(UPDATE) Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash While Fighting Brush Fire (UPDATE) Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash While Fighting Brush Fire
(Update) Firefighter Killed In ATV Crash While Fighting Brush Fire Update: Authorities have identified the man killed battling the blaze as a 66-year-old retired Hartford firefighter. Click here for more information on him and the crash.  Original: A Connecticut firefighter was killed in an ATV crash while fighting a brush fire in Hartford County on Tuesday, Oct. 22, authorities said.  The Wethersfield firefighter was riding on a firefighting ATV that crashed around 5:30 p.m. in Berlin, where crews are battling a brush fire that has spread to 90 acres on Lamentation Mountain.  The firefighter, whose name has not been released, was on the s…
Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order: Cops Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order: Cops
Man Fights Officers While Violating Protection Order: Cops A 41-year-old New Jersey man got into a fight with multiple Connecticut police officers trying to stop him as he violated a protective order in New Haven County, authorities said.  Jose Valentin Duran-Castillo, of Phillipsburg, NJ, faces several felony charges following his arrest on Friday, Oct. 18, East Haven Police said. A judge ordered him held on a $250,000 bond.  Police were called to a Highland Avenue home in East Haven around 5:45 p.m. to reports of an unwanted man on the property. Officers arrived to find Duran-Castillo, who immediately became hostile with authoritie…
Dog Found Starving, Emaciated, Locked In Cage In Home's Basement For 24 Hours: Police Dog Found Starving, Emaciated, Locked In Cage In Home's Basement For 24 Hours: Police
Dog Found Starving, Emaciated, Locked In Cage In Home's Basement For 24 Hours: Police A 2-year-old dog rescued over the weekend was found starving and emaciated at a New Haven County home. The poodle's owner now faces an animal cruelty charge, authorities said.  Police were called to Jolissa Nozier's Naugatuck home on Sunday evening, Oct. 20, after neighbors complained that her dog had been barking for hours, police said. They told officers that Nozier had been gone for a day. A rescue agency said the animal had been left in a crate in the Carroll Street home's basement since the owner left.  Naugatuck Police took custody of the dog named Rocky and surrendered it t…
Man Wanted On Child Porn Charges Hid In CT Woods For Months: Marshals Man Wanted On Child Porn Charges Hid In CT Woods For Months: Marshals
Man Wanted On Child Porn Charges Hid In CT Woods For Months: Marshals A 40-year-old wanted man was found hiding in a camp deep in the woods in Windham County on Monday, Oct. 21, after months on the run, authorities said.  Steven Labrecque, 40, is wanted by authorities in Massachusetts on charges of child pornography, photographing intimate parts of a child, intimidation of a witness, reckless endangerment of a child, threatening, obscene matter to a minor, assault, and battery, the US Marshal Service said.  Marshals were asked to help find Labrecque after police in Franklin and New Bedford, Massachusetts, were unable to track him down. Aut…
Aggressive Driver Topped 120 MPH While Weaving Through Traffic: Police Aggressive Driver Topped 120 MPH While Weaving Through Traffic: Police
Aggressive Driver Topped 120 MPH While Weaving Through Traffic: Police A 22-year-old Connecticut man was caught speeding at more than 120 mph on Sunday, Oct. 20, while aggressively driving through New London County.  Louis Dieu, 22, of Norwich, was busted as he aggressively weaved through traffic along Route 2 in Bozrah just before 7 p.m., Connecticut State Police said.  A state trooper followed Dieu's silver Range Rover for several miles and saw him tailgating other drivers and passing on the right at triple-digit speeds, authorities said.  He complied with a traffic stop, and authorities charged him with reckless driving. He was later re…
Sex Offender Nabbed Approaching Women, Fondling Himself; He Was Busted Again A Day Later: Cops Sex Offender Nabbed Approaching Women, Fondling Himself; He Was Busted Again A Day Later: Cops
Sex Offender Nabbed Approaching Women, Fondling Himself; He Was Busted Again A Day Later: Cops A 31-year-old Connecticut registered offender was arrested twice in two days for inappropriately touching himself in public, authorities said. He was already out on bond for prior incidents.  Wojciech Warzynski, 31, of Farmington in Hartford County, was first arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 9, after he reportedly approached two females at the MDC Reservoir while fondling himself inappropriately, authorities said.  Officers had responded to the Farmington reservoir after multiple people called about a man acting suspiciously, officials said.  Warzynski was arrested the next day a…
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…
Truck Barrels Through Convenience Store Sending Driver To Hospital Truck Barrels Through Convenience Store Sending Driver To Hospital
Truck Barrels Through Convenience Store Sending Driver To Hospital A truck crashed into a New Haven County convenience store Saturday morning, Oct. 19, sending the driver to the hospital, authorities said.  The truck crashed through the glass front of the Patco store at 271 Foxon Road in North Branford around 11:30 a.m., police said.  The driver was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with minor injuries. Luckily, no one else was hurt, North Branford Police said.  A North Branford Building Official was on scene Saturday to determine the damage to the building.  Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Officers…
Man Busted In Tree Branch Attack That Sent 1 To Hospital: Police Man Busted In Tree Branch Attack That Sent 1 To Hospital: Police
Man Busted In Tree Branch Attack That Sent 1 To Hospital: Police A 56-year-old Connecticut man attacked someone with a tree branch, sending them to the hospital in Fairfield County, authorities said.  Oscar Espejo-Gonzalez, of Bridgeport, was charged with second-degree breach of peace, illegal alteration of a firearm, illegally carrying a gun while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, first-degree threatening, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment in the first-degree, authorities said.  The alleged victim told police that Espejo-Gonzalez had attacked him with a tree branch on Maplewood Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 19, leaving a …
Woman Who Fatally Hit Cyclist Then Sped Away Arrested: Police Woman Who Fatally Hit Cyclist Then Sped Away Arrested: Police
Woman Who Fatally Hit Cyclist Then Sped Away Arrested: Police A woman who police say crashed into a bicyclist, causing him fatal injuries, and sped away in New Haven County has been arrested weeks later.  Gloria Sanchez, 32, of Waterbury, was charged Thursday with evading responsibility in a death, criminal misrepresentation, and failure to renew registration, authorities said.  Investigators said Sanchez crashed into 37-year-old Luis Caceras, of Waterbury, around 6 a.m. at the Cooke Street and Grove Street intersection and then drove away.  After an investigation, police arrested Sanchez earlier this week.  A judge ord…
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…