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Connecticut State Police

Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Brooklyn Family's Stolen Grave Marker Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Brooklyn Family's Stolen Grave Marker
Headstone Heist: CT Police Searching For Brooklyn 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…
Ashford Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On: Police Ashford Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On: Police
Ashford Man Busted With Loaded Gun at Bradley Airport In Carry-On: 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…
54-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Fiery Woodstock Crash 54-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Fiery Woodstock Crash
54-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Fiery Woodstock Crash Police in Connecticut have identified the man killed in a Windham County crash last month as a 54-year-old whose truck struck a pole and caught fire, authorities said. Craig David Laliberte, 54, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, was behind the wheel when his Ford F-350 veered off Route 198 in Woodstock, Windham County, just after 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, state police said. The truck was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified Laliberte after an autopsy, and police contacted his next of kin. It is…
Alert Issued For 28-Year-Old Man Missing From Mansfield Alert Issued For 28-Year-Old Man Missing From Mansfield
Alert Issued For 28-Year-Old Man Missing From Mansfield 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…
'I'll Blow Your Head Off': Wanted CT Man Threatens Police In Late-Night Encounter 'I'll Blow Your Head Off': Wanted CT Man Threatens Police In Late-Night Encounter
'I'll Blow Your Head Off': Wanted CT Man Threatens Police In Late-Night Encounter A Connecticut man with outstanding warrants was arrested over the weekend following a tense confrontation with state police, authorities said. Maxx Gallup, 26, and another man were spotted walking along the southbound shoulder of Route 32 around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, near Alice Street in Windham, while wearing all black, Connecticut state police said. When troopers arrived, one of the men ran into the woods, but Gallup confronted them. According to police, Gallup initially complied with commands to show his hands but repeatedly concealed them, prompting officers to detain him for saf…
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…
43-Year-Old ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Route 8 Crash 43-Year-Old ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Route 8 Crash
43-Year-Old ID'd As Driver In Fiery Fatal Route 8 Crash 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: Cops Wrong-Way Driver Collides Head-On With CT Police Cruiser: Cops
Wrong-Way Driver Collides Head-On With CT Police Cruiser: 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…
CT Man, 56, Killed in I-91 Crash After Rear-Ending Trailer: Police CT Man, 56, Killed in I-91 Crash After Rear-Ending Trailer: Police
CT 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…
Man Killed After Crashing Into Tree Man Killed After Crashing Into Tree
Man Killed After Crashing Into Tree A Connecticut man was killed when his car left the road and collided with a tree in Tolland County, authorities said.   Paul Butcher, 80, of Taftville, was killed just before 12:30 p.m. when his car went off the side of Turnpike Road in Willington and hit a tree on the left shoulder of the road near Moose Meadow Road, Connecticut State Police said.  Paramedics took Butcher to Rockville Hospital in Vernon, where doctors pronounced him dead.  Police are investigating the crash. 
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 On Route 8: Police Drunk Teen Clocked Going 100+ MPH On Route 8: Police
Drunk Teen Clocked Going 100+ MPH 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 …
Woman Topped 100MPH With Kids In Car's Back Seat: Police Woman Topped 100MPH With Kids In Car's Back Seat: Police
Woman Topped 100MPH With Kids In Car's Back Seat: Police A woman who was clocked going more than 100 miles per hour along Route 2 with her two young children in the car told police she was speeding because she needed to heed the call of nature, authorities said.  Brianna Guerin, 21, of New London, is charged with driving with no insurance, reckless driving, risk of injury to a child (two counts), and reckless endangerment in the second degree, Connecticut State Police said.  Police spotted Guerin just before 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, on Route 2 in Marlborough driving at 109 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone, authorities said. …
'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…
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…
Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Remembered As Hardworking Dad, Grandfather Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Remembered As Hardworking Dad, Grandfather
Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Remembered As Hardworking Dad, Grandfather Family and friends of Richard Dupont said he was walking home from work when an alleged drunk driver crashed into him and killed him.  The 55-year-old Jewett City man was hit as he walked along River Road in Lisbon around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 14, Connecticut State Police said. Friends posted online he was walking home from his job at Walmart.  Original Report: Pedestrian Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver The Griswold High School alumni had recently started working at the superstore, and before that, he worked at Better Val-U for 28 years, according to his obituary. Rega…
88-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In I-91 Crash With Work Truck 88-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In I-91 Crash With Work Truck
88-Year-Old ID'd As Driver Killed In I-91 Crash With Work Truck Police have identified an 88-year-old Connecticut man as the driver who was killed when he crashed into a truck in Hartford County on Friday afternoon, Oct. 18.  William Higgins was driving south on Route 5 in Enfield when he left the road, went through a wooded grassy area onto I-91, and crashed into the truck around 2:30 p.m., Connecticut State Police said.  Paramedics rushed the Enfield man to Hartford Hospital, where he died of his wounds.  Responders also took the Lot and More work truck driver to the hospital for minor injuries.  Police are investigating the cras…
55-Year-Old ID'd As Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver 55-Year-Old ID'd As Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver
55-Year-Old ID'd As Man Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Police have identified the man who was hit and killed earlier this week when a truck went off the side of the road and struck him as he was walking, authorities said.  Richard Dupont, of Jewett City in New London County, was killed on Monday, Oct. 14, as he walked along River Road in Lisbon around 10:30 p.m., State Police said.  William Stonier, of Ledyard, was behind the wheel of the truck. Police believe he was intoxicated when he crashed into Dupont, authorities said.  Connecticut State Police Stonier is charged with driving under the influence and illegal possession of…