Connecticut
Connecticut parents get probation for hosting drunken high school party that led to fatal stabbing
The Connecticut parents who hosted a drunken high school house party that preceded the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old were sentenced Wednesday to probation for allowing underage drinking.
Paul Leifer, 59, and Susanna Leifer, 52, will have their cases dismissed if they meet certain conditions, the Connecticut Post reported. Those conditions include not getting arrested again in the next two years, completing 50 hours of community service each, making $250 charitable donations and not hosting any parties that may include underage drinking.
A party at the Leifers’ house on May 14, 2022 ended in a fight, and some of the combatants met later that night down the road and brawled again. During the second confrontation, 17-year-old James McGrath was stabbed to death.
Raul Valle, now 18, was charged as an adult with murdering McGrath. He pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal in November.
According to police, the Leifers’ daughter invited 15 to 20 students from her school, St. Joseph High, to the party. Prosecutors said the Leifers realized the teens were drinking, but allowed them to continue partying, the Connecticut Post reported.
The fight erupted when an uninvited group of students from a rival high school, Shelton High, tried to crash the party, according to police. The Leifers responded to the brawl by kicking everyone out.
But the disagreement continued until a small group of teens met shortly afterward at a nearby house. McGrath, who did not attend St. Joseph’s or Shelton High but instead was a student at Fairfield Prep, was stabbed to death at the second scene. Valle, a St. Joseph student, knew McGrath from outside school.
The Leifers were charged with allowing minors to possess alcohol. Susanna Leifer was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, after police said she gave one of the brawling kids his beer back. The families of McGrath and Valle have also sued the Leifers in civil court.
Connecticut State Parks announced that several parks, recreation areas, and beaches are closed on Friday after reaching capacity.
As of 1 p.m., the following are closed due to the parking lots being full:
- Rocky Neck State Park
- Millers Pond State Park
- Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Mount Tom State Park
- Gardner Lake State Park
- Squantz Pond State Park
- Silver Sands State Park
- Pattaconk Recreation Area (Cockaponset State Forest)
- Scantic River State Park, Powder Hollow
- Satan’s Kingdom State Park
Connecticut continues to face excessive heat heading into the holiday weekend.
For a full forecast, head here.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut is now available in a new vitola, one that also comes in a metal tube.
It’s the second different toro for the line, though it will be difficult to confuse the two cigars. The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Toro, the existing cigar, is a 6 1/4 x 52 box-pressed toro. The new AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo is a 6 x 52 round toro. Blend-wise, the line uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos grown by AGANORSA. The line is made at the company’s factory in Nicaragua.
The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Tubo has an MSRP of $19.99 and comes in boxes of 10 cigars.
“The Aniversario Connecticut Tubo offers a perfect combination of elegance, convenience, and flavor,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales & marketing for AGANORSA Leaf, in a press release when the cigar was announced in March. “It’s an ideal cigar for both longtime fans of the brand and smokers discovering Aganorsa for the first time.”
Connecticut
Motorcyclist seriously injured after crashing into parked, unoccupied vehicle in Meriden
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A motorcyclist has serious injuries after a crash early Friday morning in Meriden, according to police.
The crash happened just after 3:00 a.m. in the area of Lincoln Street. The motorcyclist was navigating a turn when they struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle, police said.
The motorcyclist was taken to an area trauma center, according to police.
A section of Lincoln Street is blocked for the investigation, police said.
Meriden’s accident investigation team responded to the scene.
Additional information was not immediately available.
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