Connecticut
Father accused of trying to drown his twins at beach
A New York man was in custody after police say he tried to drown his twins at a beach in Connecticut over the weekend.
At 2:30 a.m. Saturday, patrol officers approached a parked SUV at the beach in West Haven and, shortly afterward, heard screaming coming from the water, authorities said.
The patrol officers followed the screams and found an “adult male and two small children” in the water. As the officers entered the water, police say, the adult male yelled, “Stay back.” Officials said that is when it was clear the male was “deliberately drowning his children.”
Additional officers and rescue boats arrived and entered the water almost 100 yards away from shore. A human chain was formed to get the children to shore, and life-saving measures were performed.
The children, who are under 3 years old, were at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in critical condition in the intensive care unit, but said to be improving. Authorities say the children are twins — a boy and a girl.
Later Sunday evening, Borer posted on Facebook that the kids were both under pediatric critical care and making slight progress, with one of the twins taken off intubation.
Three police officers were also treated for minor injuries.
Romney Desronvil, 41, of New York, was taken into custody and charged with two counts each of attempted homicide and risk of injury.
The children’s mother was in New York at the time of the incident but has since arrived in New Haven, Connecticut, to be with her children.
At a press conference Saturday evening, West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer praised the officers and fire department members for their quick action.
“The seconds and the timing of the police officers that just happened to be driving by when this incident was occurring, it’s really remarkable,” she said.
Borer said when she met with the mother at the hospital to provide any support she needed.
West Shore Fire Chief Stephen Scafariello said first responders are getting peer support and help from the employee assistance program to deal with trauma after the incident.
“Years ago, we had to keep everything bottled up inside,” he said. “It didn’t work very well for all of us, so we’re encouraging them to talk to someone, share your emotions.”
This particular case hits home even harder, he said, seeing as it concerned children so young.
“All of our police officers, our firefighters, they’re dedicated,” he said. “To have that helpless feeling, to not be able to help a child is terrible.”
Connecticut
Serious crash in downtown Stamford causes road closure
A serious car crash closed a busy road in downtown Stamford on Monday night.
The police department said Washington Boulevard is closed at the intersection with Bridge Street because of a serious crash.
Drivers are being asked to stay away from the area.
No additional information was immediately available.
Connecticut
Immigration advocates vow to fight Trump deportation plans
Immigration advocates say they’ve already been preparing for President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to ramp up deportations once he returns to the White House.
“We anticipate that they’re going to be very quick, very rapid, very massive efforts to grab as many people as possible and deport them,” National Immigration Law Center President Kica Matos said during a rally outside the Capitol on Monday.
Matos said hers and other organizations began considering possible actions earlier this year in case Trump won.
Now, Trump is promising to deliver on his campaign pledge, taking to his Truth Social platform earlier in the morning to confirm he plans to declare a national emergency.
He also intends to try and use the military to support his deportation effort, his post confirmed.
Advocates said they’re trying to assume undocumented immigrants in Connecticut that their organizations will offer support.
“If families have to be separated, it defeats the point completely because people are trying to get to the United States to be with their families,” said Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of CT Students For a Dream.
Sookdeo said her family came from Guyana when she was a teenager and her grandmother, who was a U.S. citizen, was trying to help them also get permanent legal status.
Her grandmother died during the process, though, leaving Sookdeo’s family in limbo.
“Immigration is pretty complicated,” she said.
Democrats, meanwhile, said they won’t support federal deportation efforts.
Attorney General William Tong (D) pointed to the state’s Trust Act, which bars local and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
“Connecticut is going to care for our immigrant families and immigrant neighbors and friends,” Tong said.
There are some exceptions, including when an undocumented immigrant is convicted of a Class A or Class B felony. Tong wouldn’t say if that means Connecticut has to notify federal authorities of such a conviction.
“I’m not going to issue a legal opinion on the fly from this podium,” Tong said.
Connecticut Republicans were critical of Democrats, though, saying their policies don’t reflect what voters want.
Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Minority Leader) said Connecticut spends too much money supporting undocumented immigrants, including with Medicaid, education and other assistance.
He also said voters are worried about public safety.
“It’s really out of step, I think, with what the residents and America wants, and that is, you know, safe borders, public safety and we have to get the cost of immigration under control,” Candelora said.
Connecticut
$25,000 Winning Lottery Ticket Claimed By Bridgeport Resident
BRIDGEPORT, CT — An unnamed Bridgeport resident is $25,000 richer this week after claiming a winning lottery ticket purchased in Norwalk, the Connecticut Lottery announced.
On Wednesday, the person claimed a winning 200X ticket that was bought at East Avenue Citgo on East Avenue.
The Connecticut Lottery publishes partial winner information as public record, according to officials.
The game, which costs $20 per ticket, began in February, and as of Monday, one grand prize of $1 million remained unclaimed.
More than 2.5 million game tickets have been printed, and the overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.21.
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