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Police & Fire
Armed Man Kidnaps Family At Danbury Stop & Shop, Steals Money, Police Say Armed Man Kidnaps Family At Danbury Stop & Shop, Steals Money, Police Say
Armed Man Kidnaps Family At Danbury Stop & Shop, Steals Money, Police Say Police in Fairfield County are searching for an armed man who allegedly kidnapped a family in the parking lot of a Stop & Shop and allegedly made them drive to a bank and withdraw money. The incident took place in Danbury around 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 10 at the Stop & Shop on Newtown Road. According to Erin Henry, a spokesperson for the Danbury Police, a family told officers that a man approached their vehicle with a handgun in the parking lot and ordered them to unlock the car. The man then got into the rear behind the driver's seat and ordered the victim to drive to the Bank of…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Electronic Stalking Of Ex-Girlfriend's Vehicle, Police Say Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Electronic Stalking Of Ex-Girlfriend's Vehicle, Police Say
Hudson Valley Man Accused Of Electronic Stalking Of Ex-Girlfriend's Vehicle, Police Say Following a two-month investigation, a New York man has been charged with electronic stalking in Fairfield County after allegedly affixing a GPS and listening device to an ex-girlfriend's vehicle. Putnam County resident Alexander King, age 31, of Brewster, turned himself in at Norwalk Police headquarters on Thursday, Sept. 7 on an active arrest warrant for electronic stalking, said Norwalk Police Deputy Chief Terrence Blake.  The arrest stemmed from an incident reported on Tuesday, July 4. A victim located a GPS and listening device on the ground next to their vehicle in a re…

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by Kathy Reakes
Real Estate
Northern Westchester's Richard Gere Identified As Buyer Of Paul Simon's Fairfield County Estate Northern Westchester's Richard Gere Identified As Buyer Of Paul Simon's Fairfield County Estate
Northern Westchester's Richard Gere Identified As Buyer Of Paul Simon's Fairfield County Estate To say Richard Gere has been active in the real estate market in the region would be quite an understatement. The popular actor moved from one Northern Westchester County town to another one early last year when he moved to North Salem after listing his property in Pound Ridge for $28 million. (The Pound Ridge sale price wound up being around $24 million.) Now, the 74-year-old Gere, best known for his roles in the movies "Pretty Woman," and "An Officer and a Gentleman," has been identified as the buyer of a country estate in Fairfield County that was owned by singer-songwriter Paul Simon&nb…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
4 Nabbed For DWI In Hudson Valley: Wrong-Way Driving, Mailbox Damage Among Offenses, Police Say 4 Nabbed For DWI In Hudson Valley: Wrong-Way Driving, Mailbox Damage Among Offenses, Police Say
4 Nabbed For DWI In Hudson Valley: Wrong-Way Driving, Mailbox Damage Among Offenses, Police Say Four people, including Westchester and Fairfield County residents, face various charges after they were caught driving while intoxicated in the Hudson Valley, police said. The arrests all happened in Putnam County over both Saturday, Aug. 19, and Sunday, Aug. 20, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday, Aug. 22.  The following people were arrested, according to sheriff's deputies:  Fairfield County resident Michael F. Bautista-Zumba, age 23, of Danbury, was arrested on Saturday around 2:10 a.m. after authorities saw him allegedly travel from his lane in an unsafe…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Teacher Accused Of Enticing Minor In Newtown Teacher Accused Of Enticing Minor In Newtown
Teacher Accused Of Enticing Minor In Newtown A 68-year-old private music teacher from Fairfield County faces sexual assault charges after allegedly starting an inappropriate relationship with a young student, police said.  Newtown resident Richard Neal, age 68, was arrested by Newtown Police on Wednesday, Aug. 23 on sexual assault charges, the department announced.  According to authorities, the arrest followed an investigation into Neal's inappropriate relationship with a juvenile student to whom he had provided private music lessons.  When this relationship became known, Newtown Police Detective Chelse…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Child Struck, Killed By Car In Danbury Parking Lot Child Struck, Killed By Car In Danbury Parking Lot
Child Struck, Killed By Car In Danbury Parking Lot A young child was struck and killed by a car in a parking lot in Fairfield County. The incident took place in Danbury around 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22 in the area of Shelter Rock Road. According to Erin Henry of the Danbury Police, officers were dispatched to a home on Shelter Rock Road for a report of a motor vehicle accident involving a young child.  When officers arrived they learned that a child had been struck by a car in the parking lot, Henry said. Henry said the child was taken to the hospital, where they died from their injuries.  "This tragic incident ap…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
ID Released After Body Of 31-Year-Old Recovered From Lake In Ridgefield ID Released After Body Of 31-Year-Old Recovered From Lake In Ridgefield
ID Released After Body Of 31-Year-Old Recovered From Lake In Ridgefield The body of a missing Fairfield County man who was last seen swimming in a state park lake has been recovered. Cody Rugar, of New Fairfield, age 31, was found in  Lake Naraneka in Pierrepont State Park in Ridgefield around 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17 by the Westport Police Dive Team, said Capt. Jeff Raines of the Ridgefield Police Department. Original report: Swimmer Goes Missing At State Park In Ridgefield "Our condolences go out to the Rugar family and anyone else affected by this tragic incident," said Raines. Raines said since going missing on Monday, Aug. 14, more than 20…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Now In Effect For Westchester Severe Thunderstorm Watch Now In Effect For Westchester
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Now In Effect For Westchester As a potent system with scattered severe storms sweeps through, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch has now been issued for much of the region. It's in effect until midnight Sunday, Aug. 13. The main threat is for damaging wind gusts and large hail, the National Weather Service said, adding that isolated tornadoes are possible, mainly north and west of New York City. In addition, storms will be capable of locally heavy rainfall which could lead to some urban, low lying and poor drainage flooding with isolated to scattered flash flooding possible. In New York, the watch co…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Bobcat Spotted In Brookfield By Man Walking Dog Bobcat Spotted In Brookfield By Man Walking Dog
Bobcat Spotted In Brookfield By Man Walking Dog A local man got a big surprise while taking a routine walk with his dog in northern Fairfield County. The incident happened around 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11 just north of I-84 in Brookfield, at the Happy Landings Protected Open Space on Whisconier Road. (Click on the second image above.) The man, a Litchfield County resident who resides in New Milford, said he "came around a corner and the bobcat was about 20 yards ahead of me on the trail. He scampered away into the field." "Anyone walking dogs there should definitely keep them on leash." Officials advise residents to take the following pr…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Former President Bill Clinton Stops By Popular Newtown Pizzeria Former President Bill Clinton Stops By Popular Newtown Pizzeria
Former President Bill Clinton Stops By Popular Newtown Pizzeria Employees and customers of a popular Fairfield County pizzeria were thrilled when former President Bill Clinton stopped in for a quick bite. Clinton and his security detail visited Papa Al's Pizza in Newtown to the delight of all, said Chef Dritan Hodza. "He had a real smiley face and was nice to everyone, taking the time to talk and photos," Hodza said. The group ordered a couple of slices of pizza and garlic knots. Hodza said that Clinton only had the garlic knots because he said he has to watch what he eats.  During the whirlwind visit which only lasted a couple of minutes, H…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Greenwich Lawyer Nabbed For Writing $28K In Bad Checks, Police Say Greenwich Lawyer Nabbed For Writing $28K In Bad Checks, Police Say
Greenwich Lawyer Nabbed For Writing $28K In Bad Checks, Police Say A Fairfield County woman who is a lawyer in Westchester has been charged with larceny and issuing $28,000 in bad checks    On Monday, July 24, Greenwich Police arrested Caitlin Moran Hayes, age 43, for allegedly issuing the bad checks, one for $15,000 and another for $13,000 that were returned for insufficient funds after entering into a lease agreement and moving into the residence. The incident began in April when police responded to 18 Dwight Lane on a report of a landlord-tenant dispute, said Lt. Ted Latiak of the Greenwich Police. During a lengthy investigation, detectives w…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Hit-Run: Beloved Northern Westchester High School Teacher Dies In Cape Cod Crash Hit-Run: Beloved Northern Westchester High School Teacher Dies In Cape Cod Crash
Hit-Run: Beloved Northern Westchester High School Teacher Dies In Cape Cod Crash Authorities are investigating after a high school teacher in New York who lived in Connecticut was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Massachusetts, police said.  Fairfield County resident Jeffrey Richardson, age 59, of Brookfield, who taught music in Northern Westchester County at John Jay High School in Cross River, died on Tuesday, July 11 following the incident that happened the day before around 9:40 p.m. in the town of Wellfleet on Cape Cod.  According to Wellfleet Police, at the time of the incident, officers were called to Route 6, where Richardson was lying unresponsive …

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by Ben Crnic