Police Reports, January 10-20, 2015
I-84 DUI
State police report that at about 3:35 am on January 18, they spotted motorist Melissa Toon, 35, of New Haven driving on eastbound Interstate 84, near the Exit 9 interchange, but failing to stay in her travel lane, so they stopped her to investigate.
State police said they arrested Toon on charges of driving under the influence, failure to drive in the proper lane, and two vehicular-document charges.
After processing, state police released her on $2,000 bail for a February 10 court appearance.
Bridge Collision
Motorist Catherine Filiato, 51, of 24 Washbrook Road was driving a 2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan westward on Meadow Brook Road, near its intersection with Lazybrook Road about 9 am on January 18, when the vehicle slid on some icy pavement and struck both side walls of a bridge that carries Meadow Brook Road over a stream, police said.
Filiato was not injured. Police said they issued her a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.
Copper Theft
Police report that they learned on the morning of January 15 that a theft had occurred at an unoccupied house on Walnut Tree Hill Road, near Lake Zoar, in which someone had stolen the copper piping from the baseboard radiators within the building.
The physical damage caused by the theft of the piping would require about $10,000 worth of repairs, police said. People who steal copper piping sell the copper to metal scrap dealers to obtain money, according to police.
The burglary/larceny is under investigation.
Intersection Crash
Police report a two-vehicle collision in Botsford at the intersection of Huntingtown Road and Meadow Brook Road at about 2:40 pm on January 13.
In that incident, motorist Elizabeth Murphy, 56, of 14 Saddle Ridge Road was driving a 2002 Volkswagen Passat sedan southward on Huntingtown Road, as motorist Kate Laaksonen, 16, of 10 Avalon way was driving a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV westward on Meadow Brook Road, police said.
The Jeep passed through a stop sign at the intersection, resulting in the Jeep and Volkswagen colliding, police said. The Jeep then drove up a driveway and struck a tree, police said.
There were no injuries. Police said they issued Laaksonen an infraction for a stop sign violation.
Hyundai Vs Honda
A two-vehicle collision occurred in the parking lot at Sand Hill Plaza at 228 South Main Street about 1:38 pm on January 13.
In that incident, motorist Kristine Kelman, 49, of Wallingford, who was driving a 2013 Hyundai Elantra sedan, was backing out of a parking space and then struck a 2008 Honda Pilot SUV driven by Jodi Cameron, 48, of 5 Cherry Street, police said.
There were no injuries. Police took no enforcement.
Wasserman Way
Motorist Frank T. Hawley III, 30, of Naugatuck was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima sedan eastward on Wasserman Way and was approaching the Exit 11 ramps for Interstate 84 at about 11:40 pm on January 14 and then stopped for a red traffic signal, after which the Nissan was struck from behind by motorist Jose Feliciano, 23, of Waterbury, who was driving a 1997 Toyota Tercel coupe, police said.
There were no injuries. Police said Feliciano was charged with failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.
Shoplifting Case
Police report they received a complaint from the Big Y supermarket at Newtown Shopping Village at 6 Queen Street about 11 am on January 10, informing them of a shoplifting incident, so they went to the store to investigate.
Police said that after investigating, they arrested a youth under age 16 on a charge of sixth-larceny for allegedly stealing merchandise at the store. Police did not disclose the person’s identity because he/ she is under age 18.
Following arrest processing, police released the youth to the custody of parents for an upcoming Danbury Juvenile Court appearance.
House Burglary
Police report that sometime between 7:30 am and 2:20 pm on January 16, someone forcibly entered a house on Old Green Road, near its intersection with Valley Field Road South, burglarizing the premises. Police are investigating the incident and ask anyone with knowledge of the matter to contact Officer Matthew Pirhala at the police station at 3 Main Street, telephone 203-426-5841.
Riverside Road
Police said on January 18 that someone had burglarized a house on Riverside Road, near its intersection with Chimney Swift Drive, stealing copper piping from within the house. The theft occurred sometime during the week preceding January 18, police said. Police Officer Scott Ruszczyk, who is investigating, asks anyone with knowledge of the burglary/larceny to contact him at the police station.
Two Warrants
Police said that on January 18, they learned that an argument was underway across the street from the police station, so they investigated.
One of the people involved in that argument had two warrants pending against him, so police arrested him.
Police said they charged Victor Stendbergh, 26, of 7 Sugar Street with failure to respond to an infraction and also with second-degree failure to appear in court.
Police said they held Stendbergh on bail for a court appearance.
Hanover Road Crash
Police report that at about 7 am on January 10, motorist Daniel Aurelia, 21, of 157 Hanover Road was driving a 2009 BMW 328-XI sedan southward near 151 Hanover Road, when while coming out of a curve, the vehicle’s rear end skidded on black ice, went over a curb and struck a tree. Police said they verbally warned Aurelia for making a restricted turn.
Acura Mishap
Motorist Joanelle Tran, 16, of 3 Shady Rest Boulevard was driving a 1998 Acura RL sedan out from a driveway at 12 Glen Road and making a right turn to head northward on Glen Road at about 2:33 pm on January 11, when the vehicle ran over a curb and then struck a curbside mailbox at 14 Glen Road, police report.
Tran was not injured. Police said they gave Tran a written warning for making a restricted turn.
Beetle Down Bank
Police report that motorist Ingrid DeAngelis, 51, of 5 Cobblers Mill Road was attempting to back down the driveway at that address at about 1:37 pm on January 18, but the 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle convertible which she was driving slid on the slippery pavement and went down an embankment. There were no injuries. Police took no enforcement.
Orchard Hill Crash
Motorist Matthew Elias, 17, of 11 Pebble Road was driving a 2007 Subaru Impreza westward on Orchard Hill Road about 10 pm on January 14, when he lost control of the auto and it swerved and then flipped onto its side, landing in a driveway at 24 Orchard Hill Road, police said.
Elias received minor injuries, police said. Elias received an infraction for making a restricted turn, police said.
Warrant
Police report that on January 16, they arrested Olajuwon Harrington, 22, of Waterbury on a warrant, charging Harrington with first-degree failure to appear in court. Harrington posted $2,500 bail and was released for a January 29 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.
Harrington has pleaded not guilty to burglary, larceny, and false statement charges after his arrest last August in connection with an incident in Newtown last March, according to officials.
Slippery Road
Motorist Ana Mendes, 60, of Carmel, N.Y., was driving a motor vehicle northward on Hawleyville Road, near Covered Bridge Road, about 9:30 am on January 18, when due to icy road conditions, she lost control and traveled off the right road shoulder, striking some protective barriers, police said.
Mendes was not injured. Police said they verbally warned her for traveling too fast for conditions.
Concrete Culvert
Motorist Bella Poznan, 62, of 3 Old Stream Road was driving a 1995 Ford Windstar minivan eastward on Orchard Hill Road, near Huntingtown Road, about 10 am on January 18, when while negotiating a curve, the vehicle slid on the icy roadway, went off the right road shoulder and then came to rest atop a concrete culvert, police said.
There were no injuries. Police said they verbally warned Poznan for traveling too fast for conditions.
Edgelake Drive
Police report that Anthony Capozziello, 38, of 12 Sunnyview Terrace was driving a town-owned 2005 Ford F-350 truck southward near 24 Edgelake Drive during snow/ice control operations at about 1:20 pm on January 18, when the Ford went out of control and struck a parked, unoccupied 1995 Audi A-6 station wagon.
There were no injuries. Police took no enforcement.
South Main Accident
Motorist Maureen Goeree, 46, of Monroe was driving a 2014 Ford Explorer SUV northward near 84 South Main Street at about 9 am on January 8 and then stopped for traffic conditions, police said.
The Ford was then struck from behind by motorist Christopher Gamble, 18, of 39 Cold Spring Road, who was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo sedan, police said.
There were no injuries. Gamble received a written warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, police report.
Marijuana Charge
At about noon on January 16, at the end of a half-day session at Newtown High School, police charged a student there who is under age 18 with possession of less than one-half ounce of marijuana, police said.
Police issued the youth a juvenile summons and turned the youth over to the custody of a parent. The youth is scheduled to appear in Danbury Juvenile Court to answer the charge. Police did not disclose the youth’s identity.
Interstate Collision
State police report a two-vehicle accident at the end of the Exit 9 off-ramp for eastbound Interstate 84 at about 4:40 pm on January 14.
In that incident, motorist Frederick Merrill, 49, of Bethlehem, who was driving a 2003 Honda Element SUV, struck the rear end of a 2011 Toyota Corolla sedan driven by Jillianne Lyon, 18, of 4 North branch Road, state police said.
There were no injuries. State police issued Merrill an infraction for following too closely.
Slippery Surface
Police report that a one-car accident occurred during an ice storm about 8:04 am on January 18 on Currituck Road, near its intersection with Butterfield Road.
Police said motorist Jenna Donovan, 29, of Brookfield was driving a 2005 Toyota Camry sedan southward on Currituck Road, when the auto went out of control, struck the northbound curb and then drove over the curb. There were no injuries.
Burglary/Larceny
Police report they learned on the afternoon of January 20 that a burglary had occurred at a vacant house on Berkshire Road, near the intersection of Nighthawk Lane.
Someone illegally entered the building at some point during the past several months and stole copper plumbing pipes from the basement, police said. It would require several thousand dollars of repairs to correct the problems caused by the theft, police said. The thieves who steal copper piping sell it to scrap metal dealers for money.
Police are investigating the incident.