Connecticut
House-Hunting Couple Kidnapped in Connecticut
House-hunting in Danbury, Connecticut, turned into a terrifying ordeal for a couple in their 50s on Sunday, police say. WABC reports that when the husband and wife arrived at a home in a gated community to meet a real estate agent, their Lamborghini was rear-ended by a van and surrounded by three other vehicles. The six suspects beat the couple with a baseball bat before they bound them with duct tape and pushed them into the van, police say. “The male victim was pretty bruised, pretty swollen and they indicated they were struck with a bat several times,” says Danbury Police Sgt. Steven Castrovinci.
Some suspects stole the Lamborghini while others drove off in the van, police say. A witness who saw the attack called police and followed the van as it sped away from the scene. After it crashed while making a turn, the suspects took off on foot and the kidnapped couple were found inside. They were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Four suspects were arrested at the scene and two others were found at a home in the nearby community of Roxbury. All six suspects face charges including first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, and reckless endangerment, Fox 61 reports
Police say the suspects don’t appear to have any previous connection to the victims. “We did a lot of background work on them, but at this time it doesn’t seem as they have any connections to the Northeast. They’re all Miami, Florida, guys,” Castrovinci says. WABC reports that the suspects were identified as Angel Borrero, 23; Reynaldo Diaz, 22; Anthony Pena, 23; Josue Romero, 26; Ricardo Estrada, 21; and Michael Rivas, 18. (More Connecticut stories.)
Connecticut
Police investigate deadly shooting in Hartford
Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened in Hartford Monday afternoon.
The shooting happened in the area of Pleasant and Main streets.
The police department said a homicide occurred and they are conducting an investigation.
An NBC Connecticut crew is headed to the scene. We’ll provide updates as they become available.
Connecticut
Rocky Neck State Park remains closed because of fire
Rocky Neck State Park remains closed after fire broke out on a hiking trail on Saturday.
The park and trail system remain closed as crews work to manage the fire, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The park will be closed until further notice.
🔥 Due to fire management operations, Rocky Neck State Park is closed until further notice. This includes the extensive trail system. 🥾https://t.co/hTyqADYHkW@CTStateParks pic.twitter.com/coIHaHCek0
— DEEP (@CTDEEPNews) November 4, 2024
Firefighters are battling several fires across the state amid dry conditions and a statewide emergency burn ban is in effect.
Outdoor grills, fire pits, campfires, kindling and use of flame are not allowed in any state parks, forests or other state-owned public lands. The ban also includes smoking and using lighters outdoors.
The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and parts of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are also closed.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Oct. 25 declared a state of emergency because of fire conditions.
Connecticut
Crews work to contain Hawthorne fire as challenging conditions persist
Authorities say there are potentially more challenges coming up this week and it could be months before the state is really out of the woods when it comes to the fire danger.
“We’re just trying to keep the residents of Connecticut safe,” said Rich Schenk, the fire control officer for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Burn bans are still in place as the state deals with dozens of fires.
A few new ones popped up on Sunday bringing the total to 111 being tracked statewide.
“Without rain, the ground is getting drier. The leaves, it’s like walking on potato chips out there,” Schenk said.
Firefighters are battling a fire in Rocky Neck State Park that has burned about 46 acres.
The park remains closed for public safety.
At the largest blaze in the state – the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin – there is promising news.
“We’re going to transition into more from the mop up phase to more of a patrol phase throughout this week,” said Chief Jonn Massirio, of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department.
The fire is now considered 50% contained after scorching 127 acres.
But the coming days could bring warmer temperatures, gustier winds, and more red flag warnings.
“We’re still going to keep our guard up. They’re not gonna, you know, put our heads down. Still got to be vigilant. Across the state. Conditions still persist to be dry,” Massirio said.
Crews from outside the state have been called in to help. They could be here until December or January.
“We’re going to need some kind of weather pattern that changes what we’re in until we get some southern moisture coming up. I want to plan for the worst case scenario so that the state’s prepared and I don’t want to be caught shorthanded,” Schenk said.
At least at the Hawthorne Fire, crews are hopeful the fire containment can be increased this week.
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