Stamford | featured news

STAMFORD-A New York City man who allegedly delivered between 120 to 130 pounds of marijuana to a Stamford pot dealer last summer pleaded guilty in federal court to a marijuana trafficking offense.

According to a release by John Durham, United States’ Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Gustavo Garcia, 29, of Queens, New York, faces up to five years in jail when he is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Janet Bond Arterton on April 4, 2018 in New Haven.

STAMFORD — Police made two crystal methamphetamine busts at an East Side motel over the weekend.

The first arrest occurred when patrol officers spotted a 65-year-old New York State man sitting in his car in the parking lot of America’s Best Value Inn at about 5 p.m. on Friday, Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said.

The man made a phone call and then, without stopping at the front desk, he made his way to the second floor where he began looking at the hotel room doors as though he was lost.

Officers went to speak to him and asked him what he was doing there.

STAMFORD — Building One Community, a nonprofit that provides resources for immigrants, is accepting nominations for its Land of Opportunity Award, which honors residents who immigrated to the greater Stamford area and whose accomplishments embody the spirit of the American Dream.

“The Land of Opportunity Award honors the perseverance and resilience demonstrated by the awardee in his or her pursuit of success and commitment to building one strong community,” according to the organization.

HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P., Malloy on Monday nominated a former Stamford corporation council to be Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Justice Andrew J. McDonald, a current Supreme Court Associate Justice and former state representative from Stamford, was placed on the court in 2013. "Justice McDonald has proven himself to be a consummate, revered jurist who has an exceptional ability to understand, analyze, research, and evaluate legal issues," Malloy said.

STAMFORD-Police say a car left to warm up in the frigid cold outside a Bulls Head home Monday morning was stolen along with $2,400 in cash.

Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said a resident of Fieldstone Terrace reported to police that he had left his black 2017 Volvo to warm up in his driveway at about 5 a.m. Monday. The man said after leaving the vehicle idling for five minutes, he returned to discover the car was gone.

The man said he did not see anyone in the car or around the area before it was stolen.

STAMFORD-Witnesses helped police find a man who struck a pedestrian in a Long Ridge Road crosswalk and allegedly fled the scene.

The accident came four days after 58-year-old Lynette Wagner was struck and killed by a driver as she was walking across Elm Street next to Interstate-95. Police have not yet filed charges against the drive in that crash.

Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said a 53-year-old man was crossing Long Ridge Road at Square Acre Drive on Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a vehicle as he was crossing the busy road.

STAMFORD-A Pennsylvania man was charged with drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident Monday morning after a motorist followed the man home after seeing him allegedly crash into a median and flatten a traffic sign.

Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said a motorist was stopped at the light near Glenbrook Road at 12:30 a.m. Monday when he saw a car driving at a high rate of speed hit the median on East Main Street and ran over a traffic sign. The driver of the vehicle continued heading westbound on East Main but was driving in the eastbound lanes.

HARTFORD - The General Assembly on Monday easily passed a temporary fix to restore full Medicare benefits for more than 90,000 elderly and disabled residents who rely on the money for office visits and other procedures.

The House first passed the bill by a veto-proof margin on 130-3 and the Senate followed with a resounding vote of 32-1

"Our seniors are just too critical a part of our population or us to turn our backs on them," said state Sen. Carlos Leone, D-Stamford.

STAMFORD-Stamford Fire Department is asking residents to take precautions against fires during the freezing weather over the next few days.

Fire Marshal Charles Spaulding is encouraging residents to check their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes to make sure they are working properly.

STAMFORD-A city landlord was charged with criminal mischief early Friday when he allegedly struck the man he was trying to kick off his property with the man’s own bed.

Sgt. Robert Shawinsky said police were called to High Street at 5:45 a.m. Friday on the report of a tenant-landlord dispute.

Police got there and found that landlord Maurice Abel, 53, who lives at the High Street home, had approached his 49-year-old renter, who owed Abel three months back rent.