Danbury, Fairfield County | featured news

DANBURY — A man facing sexual assault charges for purportedly having sex with a young girl was taken into custody by federal immigration officials when he appeared at Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing Wednesday.

Julio Virgilio Paida-Morquencho, 22, a citizen of Ecuador, was taken into custody in Danbury by federal immigration agents in late March when he was slated to appear in court to be sentenced on sexual assault charges.

According to court documents, Paida-Morquencho faced numerous charges from 2014, including fourth-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact with the vict

NEWTOWN - A man driving a motorcycle died Tuesday after an accident on Riverside Road.

Police have confirmed that Martin Amidon, of Glover Avenue, was killed while driving a red and black Buell motorcycle at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The details of how the motorcycle crashed were not disclosed by authorities. Amidon was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Police are searching for witnesses to the accident and said more information may become available as the investigation progresses.

dperrefort@newstimes.com

REDDING - Commuters can expect to experience significant delays and service interruptions this afternoon along the Danbury Branch line after a large moving truck became lodged on the tracks.

A spokesman with the railroad said buses are en route to help passengers of that train to the last three stations on the line in Redding, Bethel and Danbury.

State troopers arrested an erratic driver Friday night traveling west on Interstate 84 after a officials discovered three bags of heroin. During the traffic stop, narcotics K9 Favor, a black labrador retriever, found three bags of heroin tucked under the driver’s seat, according to the release.

Two men from North Carolina were arrested this week after officials discovered the pair stole hundreds of dollars in merchandise from Lowe’s Home Improvement, Danbury Police said. Combined, they had nearly $1,500 in screw drivers, power tools, razor blades, batteries and other merchandise, police said.

Route 107 is now open following a crash Friday evening that closed the road near Umpawaug Road.

Redding Police said only one car was involved in the crash around 5:45 p.m. and all of the occupants were brought to area hospitals. Police have not released the number of people involved or the extent of the injuries.

The road was closed for about six hours.

The major crash investigation team is looking into the wreck.

A Danbury man police say had a “substantial quantity of illegal drugs” was arrested Thursday following an investigation that began weeks ago. Members of the Danbury Police’s Special Investigations Division surveyed Meireles’ residence on Triangle Street and used other investigative techniques to detect activity consistent with drug trafficking, according to a press release from the Danbury Police Department.

Police said searches of Monroig’s car and two homes in Danbury and Brookfield turned up substantial quantities of marijuana and cocaine as well as a pistol, an assault rifle with high-capacity magazines and ammunition for both weapons.

According to court documents, between January and May 2016, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from Monroig.

According to a release from the U.S.

NEWTOWN - Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze that broke out late Monday night at a home on Toddy Hill Road.

The home itself received smoke and water damage but little structural damage.

NEW MILFORD - Firefighters have extinquished a brush fire that broke out Monday afternoon off Danbury Road.

Officials with the fire department said the fire consumed about two acres of land before it was brought under control. Crews with Brookfield and at least one other town were called in to assist local firefighters.

The fire was located near Cosmo’s Lanscaping and Nursery.