Danbury, Fairfield County | featured news

DANBURY - A young man who authorities say assaulted a police officer in July 2016 might seek an insanity defense, officials said in court this week.

Pierre Elhayek, 21, was taken into custody shortly after authorities said he “viciously” assaulted Police Officer Joe Pooler, who was parked in his patrol cruiser at Jimmie’s Market on Germantown Road around 11 p.m on July 30, 2016.

Authorities said Elhayek had been pacing up and down the road before approaching the cruiser and kicking the vehicle.

DANBURY - A 31-year-old Danbury man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he met online.

Scott Garofalo was arrested on a warrant charging him with second-degree sexual assault.

Lt. Christian A. Carroccio said that police began investigating a complaint made on Aug.

REDDING — Authorities are investigating after a swastika was carved onto a tree at a local popular trail.

A community member found the swastika, photographed it and reported it to officials, First Selectman Julia Pemberton said in a post on the Redding Facebook page on Saturday.

Pemberton said officials are searching for those “responsible for this act of hate.”

“There is no place for hate in Redding,” she said in the post.

The post did not say which trail the swastika was found on.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Redding police at 203-938-3400.

KENT — Crews were able to contain a fire that broke out Saturday afternoon at a South Main Street restaurant.

Litchfield County dispatch said firefighters from several towns were sent to Wasabi Asian Cuisine restaurant around 1 p.m. for reports of a structure fire. Route 7 was closed down while officials were on the scene.

The fire was “pretty much under control” by 1:30 p.m., police said, but the road was still closed.

DANBURY — Two people were sent to the emergency room to be treated for burns following a car explosion, according to the Danbury Fire Department.

Danbury firefighters responded to a rollover accident that resulted in a car explosion around 3:40 a.m. Saturday in the area of 167 Long Ridge Road.

Fire officials said that when they arrived the car was already fully engulfed in flames.

Two of the car’s occupants were later transported to the Western Connecticut Health Network emergency room to be treated for burns.

BRIDGEWATER — A plan to build affordable housing on Main Street North — in the works for the last 20 years —hit another roadblock this month when a state judge declined to enforce his own 2003 ruling.

In an eight-page decision, Judge Trial Referee William Mottolese agreed with the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission that the project, which started out as a 35-unit development and would now have 100 apartments instead, had changed too much to be considered the same one he ordered the town to accept 15 years ago.

KENT - Route 7 remains closed Monday morning near Bulls Bridge after a major ice dam on the Housatonic River is causing flooding conditions in the area. Officials are planning to release more information about the situation at 10:30 a.m. Monday, but stressed that motorists should heed detours away from the effected area until the matter is resolved. Flooding began Saturday when a major ice dam in the Housatonic River caused water to flow over the river’s edge on the south side of town. Much of that water then froze into ice on nearby roadways.

KENT — Several families were evacuated and a section of Route 7 remained closed Sunday after an ice jam in the Houstatonic River caused flooding in the south end of town.

Route 7 from Route 341 to Bulls Bridge Road is expected to be closed for some time because flood waters have frozen on the road.

Resident State Trooper Andrew Fisher said six to eight people were evacuated from their homes Saturday because of flooding. The residents are staying with friends, but damage to their homes cannot be determined until the water recedes, Fisher said.

BREWSTER — A Danbury man is in the custody of New York State Police after he struck a pregnant woman multiple times, police said. Police said that 35-year-old Allen Bredbenner, of Danbury, punched a pregnant woman with a closed fist in the face and in the stomach as she was driving Thursday. After the alleged attack, the victim drove directly to New York State Police Brewster barracks to turn Bredbenner in, according to police reports. The victim was later transported to Putnam Hospital for evaluation.

NEW FAIRFIELD — The library is distributing a survey to get feedback on its services and programs.

The survey can be found on the library’s page on the town website. It will gather information about both adult and children’s programs.

The Board of Selectman, Library Board and Friends of the Library will review the input, a post about the survey said.

aquinn@newstimes.com