Drug Charges

Police report that just after 2 pm on August 5, a vehicle containing four youths entered the driveway at a Castle Hill Road property located near that street’s intersection with Taunton Lake Road, after which some objects were discarded from the vehicle onto that property.

After investigating, police said they found that the discarded items included some marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Police searched the area for the vehicle and found it parked on the nearby dead-end street known as Pumpkin Lane.

Police said they arrested one youth in the vehicle on charges of possession of less than four ounces of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police termed the arrested youth a “youthful offender,” meaning that he or she is either 16 or 17 years old. State law conceals the identities of people under age 18 who are charged with crimes.

After processing, police released the youth from custody on a written promise to appear on August 14 in Danbury Youthful Offender Court.

Items Found

Sometime overnight on August 5–August 6 someone left two sleeping bags and a tarpaulin at the end of the dead-end North Branch Road. That street extends from Key Rock Road. The owner of those items should contact police at 426-5841 to claim them. Sergeant Darlene Froehlich is in charge of found property.

Poverty Hollow

At about 6:50 am on August 5, a pink quilted-cloth bag was found on Poverty Hollow Road near its intersection with Equestrian Ridge Road. Police ask the owner to contact them at 426-5841 to claim the item.

Vandals Strike

Overnight on August 5–August 6, vandals intentionally damaged several mailboxes in the Still Hill Road area. Still Hill Road extends from Toddy Hill Road. Police estimate property damage at about $85. Those with knowledge of the crimes are asked to contact Officer William Hull at the police station at 426-5841, or at his e-mail address, william.hull@newtown-ct.gov.

DUI Charge

Police report that at about 3:50 pm on August 5, they received a report of a motorist driving erratically on Commerce Road, so they went to the area to check.

After finding the motorist in question, police said they investigated and charged Kimberly Simmons, 41, of 35 Button Shop Road with driving under the influence and with driving with an obstructed marker plate.

Following processing, police released Simmons on $500 bail for an August 19 arraignment on the charges in Danbury Superior Court.

Church Hill Road

About 3:17 pm on August 5, motorist Dina DiMartino, 41, of 5 Dylan Drive was driving a 2007 Volvo XC-90 SUV eastward on Church Hill Road, near its intersection with The Boulevard, when she slowed for traffic conditions, after which an eastbound 2003 Chevrolet Tracker SUV driven by Michael Hart, 34, of Matamuras, Penn., skidded on the wet pavement and struck the rear end of the Volvo, according to police.

There were no injuries. Hart received a written warning for following too closely, police said.

 

Shoplifting

Police report they received a call about 7:30 pm August 7 from a staffer at the Big Y supermarket at Newtown Shopping Village at 6 Queen Street reporting an alleged incident of shoplifting at the store.

Police went to the store to investigate and then charged Benjamin Mattarolo, 23, of Bridgeport with sixth-degree larceny. Police released Mattarolo from custody on a written promise to appear in court on August 21.

Failure To Respond

After learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, Robert Turrell, 21, of Terryville turned himself over to police at the police station on the afternoon of August 7, and was charged with failure to respond to an infraction stemming from his having been charged with simple trespassing late on the night of March 21 at Fairfield Hills, police said.

Turrell was one of five people whom police had charged with simple trespassing at Fairfield Hills that night.

After processing, police released Turrell on $92 bail for an August 21 court appearance.

I-84 DUI

State police said they spotted motorist John Lamadeleine, 24, of Wolcott driving erratically on Interstate 84 in Sandy Hook about 12:27 am August 2, so they stopped him to investigate.

State police then charged Lamadeleine with driving under the influence, failure to drive in the proper lane, and using a handheld cellphone while driving.

Lamadeleine was scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court for arraignment on the charges.

Blown Tire

Motorist Eric Aguila, 43, of Springfield, Mass., was driving a 2001 Ford Taurus sedan westward on Interstate 84 about 7:42 pm August 7 when a rear tire blew out, causing the vehicle to go out of control, spin out, and then collide with some guardcabling along the right road shoulder, state police said.

Aguila was not injured. Enforcement information was not available.

Highway Crash

Motorist Michael Stanitis, 26, of Danbury was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Impala sedan westward on Interstate 84, west of Exit 9, about 2:51 pm August 5, when he began to change travel lanes, but fishtailed and lost control of the auto, state police said.

The Chevrolet spun about and then struck guardrailing along the right road shoulder. Stanitis was not injured. State police said Stanitis failed to drive in the established lane.

Honda Vs BMW

A two-vehicle collision occurred on eastbound Interstate 84, east of Exit 9, about 5:40 pm August 3.

Motorist Janet Gardner, 62, of 6 Surrey Trail, who was driving a 2005 BMW 325-XI-A, slowed almost to a stop due to traffic conditions, after which the BMW was hit from behind by motorist Diana Stanton, 46, of 15 Miya Lane, who was driving a Honda Pilot SUV, state police said.

Gardner said her head was bumped by the impact, but did not report being injured, state police said. Stanton received an infraction ticket for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart, state police said.

Sedan Vs RV

State police report that Stanley Oberrender, 67, of Bloomsburg, Penn., was driving a 2005 Tiffany recreational vehicle in the center lane of three lanes on westbound Interstate 84, near Exit 11, at about 2:26 pm August 2.

At that time, motorist Joseph Koskelowsky, 61, of Danbury, who was driving a 1998 Buick LeSabre sedan, was traveling in the right lane, which was ending, so Koskelowsky was merging to the left into the center lane, state police said. The Buick then collided with the Tiffany.

There were no injuries. Koskelowsky received an infraction for making an unsafe lane change, state police said.

Coupe Vs Tree

Police said they responded to a report of a one-car accident on the section of Boggs Hill Road just south of its intersection with Sugar Street at about 7:21 pm August 6.

Police said that motorist Sarah Yacovelli, 49, of 6-A Meadowbrook Road, who was driving a 1997 Saab 900 coupe, told them that she was traveling southward on Boggs Hill Road and then swerved to avoid striking a deer, but in doing so, the Saab went off the right road shoulder and collided with a tree.

Yacovelli was transported to Danbury Hospital to be checked for head pain, police said. Hook & Ladder firefighters responded to the accident scene. Yacovelli received an infraction ticket for making a restricted turn, according to police.

Multiple Charges

Police arrested a Southbury man on nine charges following an incident that occurred on the morning of August 8 at the Housatonic Motel at on Underhill Road in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook, near Lake Zoar.

Police said they charged Michael Shaw, 25, of Southbury with the offenses after investigating a complaint about a domestic dispute that was made against Shaw.

After arriving at the motel about 9:37 am, police said they found that Shaw had fled the scene. Shaw was then located in Southbury by Southbury police who turned him over to Newtown police for his arrest.

Police allege that Shaw had smashed a window in one of the motel’s units where he was living with a girlfriend and then threw a piece of glass at the woman. Police also allege that Shaw assaulted a neighbor.

Police added that Shaw was uncooperative while in custody and spat and kicked at police. Also, Shaw refused to be booked on the charges, according to police.

Police said they arrested Shaw on two counts of assault on a peace officer and one count each of second-degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, breach of peace, interfering with police, second-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, and refusal to be fingerprinted.

After failing to post $85,000 bail on the nine charges, police held Shaw in their prisoner lockup for an August 10 arraignment in Danbury Superior Court.

At the arraignment, Shaw’s bail was reduced to $60,000. He was being held on August 12 at the Bridgeport Correctional Center for an August 24 court appearance.

Vandalism

Police are investigating a vandalism incident that occurred on the weekend of August 8–9 in which someone intentionally broke the windows on a piece of construction equipment that was parked at the Hanover Heights development site at 64 Hanover Road, near the intersection of Hanover Road and The Boulevard Extension.

The crime constitutes second-degree criminal mischief, representing between $250 and $1,500 of property damage.

Hanover Heights is an eight-lot residential subdivision on 28 acres that is now under construction. Police ask anyone with information on the property damage to contact Officer Todd Dingee at the police station at 426-5841.