Connecticut
Chappy, a beloved gray seal, dies weeks after rescue on Connecticut street
Adorable grey seal pup loses his way, found wandering the street
A grey seal pup was spotted wandering the streets of New Haven. He’s being cared for by Mystic Aquarium staff and will be released back to the wild.
A seal pup whose urban rescue tugged at the nation’s heartstrings on social media in mid-February has died, a Connecticut aquarium said Monday.
The New Haven Police Department found Chappy, a gray seal pup, roaming the streets of the city in mid-February, a long way from the safe waters off the Atlantic coast. The pup was promptly treated at Mystic Aquarium for dehydration, malnutrition and mild pneumonia but died as his gastrointestinal issues became too severe, the aquarium said.
“A complete necropsy was conducted, and findings are consistent with mesenteric torsion, meaning that his intestines were twisted around the mesentery, cutting off blood supply to a large portion of the gastrointestinal tract,” according to the aquarium. “This condition can be challenging to diagnose and has a poor prognosis.”
The seal pup is one of many animals whose mysterious discoveries far afield from their natural habitats puzzled veterinarians. Among the cases are an alligator in New York State, a loose bobcat in Georgia and flamingos west of the Mississippi River.
“The reality of working with stranded animals can be tough sometimes, but Chappy was surrounded by love until the very end,” Mystic Aquarium wrote.
‘Chappy’ roamed city looking for pizza – maybe
Police found Chappy in downtown New Haven after getting a call for a possibly injured seal pup, Officer Christian Bruckhart previously told USA TODAY. He joked the aquatic animal was searching for clam pizza, and later said the pup was transported to Mystic, about 55 miles east of New Haven for rehabilitation.
The police department enlisted the public’s help to name the pup. It was affectionately named Chappy after it was reported the seal was found on Chapel Street, NBC Connecticut reported.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that a gray seal is native to the North Atlantic and can be found in coastal waters. It’s also a federally protected animal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Aquarium staff estimated Chappy to be a few weeks old and was seen roaming in several other towns before being picked up in New Haven. According to the aquarium, Chappy weighed 28 pounds, just 7 pounds less than what a newborn gray seal typically weighs.
“The goal for this seal, along with every other rescued marine mammal and sea turtle patient, is to release the seal back to its ocean home once he is healthy and strong,” the aquarium previously said on Facebook.
The aquarium shared Chappy’s health updates on Facebook. Staff said his immune system had signs of weakness and that he would be on a long road to recovery as he fought pneumonia and the gastrointestinal issues. The gut issues, however, became too severe and Chappy later passed away.
Staff made a troubling discovery in the necropsy, finding small pieces of plastic in Chappy’s stomach. The Center for Biological Diversity, a marine welfare nonprofit, estimated that by 2050, plastic will outweigh all fish if pollution remains at its current rate. Currently, plastic makes up nearly 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces.
Animals found far from their habitats
Chappy isn’t the only animal discovered away from its natural habitat in the U.S.
After Hurricane Idalia slammed Florida in 2023, flamingos were spotted in nearly 20 states. Scientists believe the birds migrated due to the storm’s winds but weren’t certain about the birds’ future. Some flew back to the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, while others lingered in Florida and several other states.
Florida has also continually encouraged residents to hunt Burmese and reticulated pythons – called the Python Challenge – as the snakes are invasive to the state, threatening the Sunshine State’s wildlife. The challenge gives registered participants a monetary incentive for capturing the invasive animals.
In New York State, a man spotted an alligator in the Minisceongo Creek. Authorities relocated the reptile to Mark Perpetua’s Reptile Encounters, an educational facility focused on animals like alligators. The owner, Mark Perpetua, said the alligator isn’t native to New York and is typically found in the south.
“People are able to get them, bring them into New York without a license and when they get too big if they can’t find a home, they occasionally end up in places where they don’t belong,” Perpetua previously told USA TODAY.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.
Connecticut
Body recovered after Bloomfield house fire and explosion
A body was recovered after a house explosion resulting in a house fire in the area of Banbury Lane on Monday night.
Fire Marshal Roger Nelson says they recovered a body around 1:15 on Tuesday morning. The identity of the body found will not be released at this time.
When officers arrived around 6:11 p.m. they encountered the house fully in flames, police said.
According to police, the fire department was able to extinguish the fire, but the house sustained devastating damage.
There are no criminal aspects related to this incident at this time.
The incident was contained to the one house.
Connecticut
Exclusive | Ex-CBS anchor Josh Elliott back on Connecticut dating scene after ugly Liz Cho split
Ex-CBS host Josh Elliott is looking for love eight months after he filed for divorce from “Eyewitness News” anchor Liz Cho.
“Josh is out and about on the dating scene in Fairfield County,” a spy exclusively tells Page Six. “He’s been seen at the bars in the area where middle-aged singles congregate.”
A second source tells Page Six, “Josh isn’t dating anyone, but he is open to meeting people. His daughter is his priority.”
Page Six can also reveal that Elliott moved out of his and Cho’s estimated $4.2 million Connecticut marital home in January.
In court papers dated Jan. 29 and obtained by Page Six, Cho revealed Elliott moved out of their home and into a new residence without her knowledge.
Cho claimed she was notified by Optimum on Jan. 21, regarding her ex installing internet at his new home.
“The Defendant learned for the first time from said communication that on or about January 15, 2026, the Plaintiff secured an unfurnished rental residence located in Southport, Connecticut,” the filing read.
“It is now clear that the Plaintiff surreptitiously entered a new lease…” the court papers continued.
A rep for Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Page Six broke the ousted CBS anchor filed for divorce from Cho after a decade of marriage on June 20, 2025.
“The marriage of the parties has broken down irretrievably,” the court papers read. Elliott asked for a “dissolution of the marriage” and for “an equitable distribution of all property, both real and personal.”
Cho responded to her estranged husband’s complaint on Nov. 6 and filed a cross-complaint against him. She also stated their marriage “has broken down irretrievably.”
The divorce became messy when Cho requested “copies of written correspondence, emails, cards, WeChat messages, Facebook messages, social media messaging, instant messaging, telephonic text messages, transcribed voicemail messages or any written forms of communication” between Elliott and “any person, other than the defendant, with whom [Elliott] have or have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, from July 11, 2015, to the present.”
Elliott objected the request on the “grounds that the time frame of the request for production is unreasonable, unnecessary, harassing and not likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”
Cho also requested “monies spent for the benefit of any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “property given or transferred by you to any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship, other than the defendant,” “monies spent for your benefit by any person with whom you have had a romantic and/or sexual relationship with, other than the defendant.”
The TV personality in addition requested financial records, documentation proving Elliott’s search for employment — as he was ousted from CBS in 2017 — travel invoices, and more. Elliott objected to the requests.
A source close to the couple previously told Page Six, “This is standard in a divorce. Her lawyer is doing a thorough document request. The documents she is requesting are standard.” The insider also insisted there is no evidence Elliott had a relationship with anyone outside the marriage.
Also in the Jan. 29 court filing, Cho filed a motion for contempt against Elliott regarding their jointly owned marital Connecticut mansion.
Cho claimed Elliott arranged for a moving truck to come to the marital residence while she was on vacation with her daughter on Jan. 19.
Cho claimed Elliott moved a “significant amount of furniture and furnishings from the marital residence,” and their “two Portuguese water dogs,” which she alleged at the time of the filing were not returned.
The court docs continued to allege, “On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, [Cho] realized that she was missing a valuable watch and earrings from her jewelry bag. As [Elliott] is the only other person who had access to the missing watch and jewelry, [Cho] believes [Elliott] is in possession of such personal property.”
She claimed his alleged actions are a “willful violation” of the court’s orders.
The insider alleged Elliott was the one to take care of the dogs and that he took “a small amount of furniture.”
In Elliott’s response to her filing, he objected to her request and claimed her allegations are “false and inflammatory.”
He claimed in court papers, “[Cho] alleges [Elliott] ‘ransacked’ and ‘abandoned’ the marital residence — claims that are patently false and intended to annoy, harass and intimidate [Elliott].
“[Elliott] did not ransack the marital home. He did not damage the property. He did not render the residence uninhabitable. He removed limited personal property and furnishings so he would have a safe haven from [Cho’s] escalating and erratic behavior direct at not only [Elliott], but his minor child as well.”
In a separate filing, he continued to defend his actions by alleging, “[Elliott] removed only limited furniture items and furnishings, many from the basement, solely to furnish a new residence after removing himself and his child from a hostile environment created by [Cho]. All property remains intact and subject to equitable distribution.”
In regard to the jewelry claim, Elliott said, “Perhaps most egregious is [Cho’s] baseless accusation that [Elliott] stole her jewelry. This allegation is made without evidence, without corroboration and without even a good-faith attempt to verify the truth.”
He then accused her of “monitoring and listening to [Elliott’s] private phone calls; rifling through [Elliott’s] personal belongings and closet; leaving the marital residence for extended periods without communication despite the presence of two dogs requiring daily care” and more claims.
He is requesting that the court deny her motion for contempt and they are due in court on March 20.
Lawyers for Cho and Elliott did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment regarding the divorce.
Elliott, 54, and Cho, 55, met while working for ABC and got married in July 2015.
This was the second marriage for both, as they each share a daughter from their previous relationships.
Cho has been with ABC on “Eyewitness News” since 2003, while Elliott was with ABC’s “Good Morning America” from 2011 to 2014.
After a brief stint with NBC, he joined CBSN as lead daytime anchor in March 2016. Nearly a year later, he was let go from the company.
Elliott has been out of the spotlight in recent years, but is now in talks to join Gayle King and Nate Burleson on “CBS Mornings,” Awful Announcing reported.
Connecticut
Man charged with murder in Hartford
A man was charged with murder and interfering with police on Sunday night.
According to police, officers were dispatched to an apartment on Washington Street for a wellness check of a woman who was reportedly unconscious and not breathing.
When officers arrived, they made contact with a man in the apartment who refused to cooperate and would not allow officers access. They then had to force entry into the apartment where they located the victim suffering from severe head trauma as well as the aggressive male, police said.
The man was secured and transported to the Hartford Police Detention Facility and is being held on a million-dollar bond.
The victim was revealed to be 76-year-old Linda Anthony and was pronounced deceased on scene.
The Hartford Police Major Crimes and Crime Scene Divisions responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
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