Evergreen Stolen

Police are investigating the theft of the uppermost section of a blue spruce tree, which was growing near the Newtown Fish & Game Club’s boat ramp on Taunton Lake Road.

Police said that someone sometime between December 3 and 17, cut off the top section of the tree and stole it. The tree had been planted there by the club as a memorial tribute to a deceased club member, police said. The crime which occurred is fifth degree larceny. Police ask anyone with information on who stole the tree to contact them at 426-5841.

 

Blue Colony MVA

Police report a two-vehicle collision on the hazardous section of Church Hill Road in front of the Blue Colony Diner about 9 am December 22.

Motorist Robert Gregson, 62, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Express van westward on Church Hill Road, was making a left turn into the diner’s parking lot, when he collided with eastbound motorist Elizabeth Winthrop Montgomery, 40, of 1 Hall Lane, who was driving a 1996 Mercury Sable station wagon in a “right turn only” lane, police said.

There were no injuries, police said. Gregson received a written warning for making a restricted turn.

DUI/Drugs

Police said they stopped motorist Joe Fortunato, 19, of Waterbury on Church Hill Road about 7:50 pm December 23, after receiving a complaint that he was intoxicated. Fortunato failed field sobriety testing, police said.

Police brought their dog to the scene and the canine searched Fortunato’s vehicle. The dog located a small amount of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia, police said. Some beer also was found in the vehicle, police said.

Police said they arrested Fortunato on charges of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of alcohol by a minor in a motor vehicle.

Police released Fortunato on $500 bail for a January 10 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

DUI Arrest

Police report they stopped motorist Carey Olsen, 18, of Wilton after seeing him driving erratically on Church Hill Road on December 23.

Police said Olsen failed field sobriety testing. Police charged Olsen with driving under the influence and with failure to drive to the right.

Police released Olsen on $50 bail into the custody of his mother for a January 10 court appearance.

Three Vehicles

Motorist Lisa Cascella, 38, of 32 Poplar Drive, who was driving a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, was stopped at a red traffic signal on Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook Center at about 6:30 pm December 22, police said.

Motorist Nicole Snow, 19, of 160 Tomahawk Trail, who was driving a 2005 Saturn Ion, then stopped behind the Nissan, police said.

Motorist Nicole Cinicolo, 19, of 111 Hanover Road, who was driving a 1997 BMW 318 sedan, then struck the rear end of the Saturn, pushing the Saturn into the rear end of the Nissan, police report.

There were no injuries. Police issued Cinicolo a written warning for following too closely.

Camry on Curve

Motorist Zachary Schwartz, 17, of 7 Merlin’s Lane, who was driving a 1997 Toyota Camry on wet, icy roads about 7 am December 23, was traveling eastward on Boggs Hill Road, near Willow Brook Lane, when while rounding a curve, the auto skid across the street and struck a tree on the westbound road shoulder, police report.

Dodgingtown firefighters went to the scene. Ambulance volunteers transported Schwartz to Danbury Hospital for treatment of injuries, police said. Police verbally warned Schwartz for failure to drive to the right on a curve.

Durango Crash

Motorist Lillian Velasquez, 39, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2001 Dodge Durango on Mile Hill Road, near its intersection with Mile Hill Road South, about 10 pm December 24, lost control of the vehicle, and skidded and onto the road shoulder, police said. Two tires went flat. Velasquez was not injured. Police verbally warned her for traveling too fast for conditions.

Hyundai Vs Jeep

Motorist Domenick Pinto, 55, of Monroe was driving a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee northward on South Main Street about 10:13 am December 23, police said.

At that time, motorist Brian Hansen, 37, of 9 Sunnyview Terrace was driving a 2000 Hyundai Elantra westward on Peck’s Lane, police said.

The Hyundai stopped at a stop sign and then pulled out onto South Main Street , colliding with the Jeep, police said. There were no injuries. Police gave Hansen a written warning for failure to grant the right of way.

Lost Gem

At about 4:30 pm on December 23, an unidentified person discovered that a 3¼-carat diamond was missing from a piece of his/her jewelry in the vicinity of the Big Y supermarket in Newtown Shopping Village at 6 Queen Street, police report.

Police ask anyone with information about the missing diamond to contact them at the police station, telephone 426-5841. Patrol Officer Domenic Costello is investigating the loss.

 

Buick Vs Honda

Motorist Virginia Lathrop, 91, of 70½ Main Street was driving a 1999 Buick LeSabre eastward on Church Hill Road, near Edmond Road, about 12:15 pm December 23, police said. The Buick was traveling behind an eastbound 2004 Honda CRV driven by Jane Gray, 59, of Woodbury, police said.

The Honda stopped for traffic conditions and was struck from behind by the Buick, police said. Lathrop received minor injuries, according to police. Police issued Lathrop an infraction ticket for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Botsford Collision

Motorist Carol Russell, 43, of 50 Aunt Park Lane, who was driving a 2005 Kia Sorrento southward on South Main Street about 3:15 pm December 23, was making a right turn onto Meadow Brook, when motorist Lynn Cervone, 45, of Monroe, who was driving a 1987 Porsche 924, attempted to pass the Kia on the right, resulting in a collision, according to police.

There were no injuries. Police gave Cervone a written warning for passing on the right.

Mitsubishi Accident

Motorist Kathleen Martinez, 21, of Bridgeport, who was driving a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant northward on a wet South Main Street about 5 am December 23, rounded a curve and then slid off the street near 89 South Main Street, striking a snowbank, police said.

Martinez was not injured. Police verbally warned her for making an improper turn.

Route 34

About 3 pm December 23, a three-vehicle collision occurred on westbound Route 34, near the entrance to Curtis Packaging Corp, according to police.

Motorist Joseph Pulieri, 57, of Derby, who was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer, stopped and was waiting to make a left turn, police said. Motorist Robert Lienhard, 68, of Madison, who was driving a 2005 Infiniti FX-35, stopped behind the Chevrolet, police said. Motorist Emory Check, 68, of 19 Paugussett Road, who was driving a 2002 Ford Ranger pickup truck, struck the Infiniti from behind, pushing the Infiniti into the rear end of the Chevrolet, according to police.

Lienhard was treated for a knee injury at the scene, police said. Police gave Check a written warning for traveling an unreasonable distance apart.

Real Estate Vandalism

Sometime overnight on December 18/19, someone damaged several real estate signs positioned at the new Newtown Heights residential subdivision off Eden Hill Road. Police are investigating and ask anyone with information about the vandalism to contact them at 426-5841.

New Lebbon Road

Motorist Ryan Tanner, 16, of 30 Mohawk Trail, who was driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla northward on New Lebbon Road about 6:45 pm December 24, spotted a deer that had entered the road, according to police.

Tanner swerved to avoid the animal, but struck a tree along the right road shoulder, police said. Tanner was not injured. Police took no enforcement.

Buick Vs Ford

About 10:44 am December 23, motorist Ralph Loveland, 53, of 4 Prospect Drive was driving a 1998 Ford Escort northward on South Main Street, as motorist Viola Sanford, 79, of 24-C Nunnawauk Meadows, who was driving a 1997 Buick Century, was exiting a driveway at 97 South Main Street, according to police.

As the Buick attempted to turn left onto South Main Street, it collided with the Ford, police report. There were no injuries. Police issued Sanford an infraction ticket for failure to grant the right of way.

Currituck Collision

Motorist Judith Gonzales, 65, of Brookfield, who was driving a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo northward on Currituck Road about 2:13 pm December 20, stopped for a noncontact vehicle on the road, police said.

Motorist Kaitlyn Herwig, 17, of 3 Shadow Ridge Circle, who was driving a 2002 Ford Focus, then struck the Isuzu from behind near 84 Currituck Road, police said. There were no injuries. Police issued Herwig an infraction ticket for traveling at an unsafe distance.

Evading Responsibility

Newtown police learned that Bridgeport police had come into contact on December 27 with a man for whom Newtown police held an arrest warrant.

Newtown police then charged Carlos DaSilva, 25, of Norwalk with evading responsibility in connection with an October 15 motor vehicle accident.

After processing his arrest, police released DaSilva on a written promise to appear January 12 in Danbury Superior Court.

Shelton Man

Police report that they stopped motorist David Duprey, 24, of Shelton on South Main Street on December 27 to investigate. Police then charged Duprey with failure to display a marker plate and with driving while under suspension. Duprey was released on a promise to appear in court on January 10.

Toyota Vs Ford

About noon on December 26, motorist Christopher Boyd, 39, of Mashpee, Mass., who was driving a 2005 Toyota Camry, was exiting a driveway at 42 Saw Mill Road, when the Toyota collided with a 1992 Ford Explorer that was being driven southward on Saw Mill Road by Kevin Kohn, 17, of 75 Taunton Lake Road, police report.

There were no injuries. Boyd received a written warning for failure to grant the right of way.

Pickup Off Road

Motorist Justin Wooton, 32, of 24 Mile Hill Road South was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck southward near 12 Key Rock Road about 8 am December 27, when the truck encountered icy pavement, police report.

The vehicle went out of control, exited the road and then struck a cluster of trees along the northbound road shoulder, police said. Wooton was not injured in the crash, police said.

Police said they warned Wooton for traveling too fast for conditions.

Two Warrants

Police said they saw Bonnie Piccirillo, 50, of 4 Dayton Street walking along Church Hill Road on the morning of December 28 and realized that they held two warrants for her arrest. The warrants stem from two past cases.

Police said they stopped Piccirillo and her charged her with two counts of second degree failure to appear in court, and with one count each of driving while under suspension, misuse of marker plates, and failure to insure a motor vehicle.

Police held Piccirillo overnight on bail for a December 29 Danbury Superior Court appearance on the charges.