Fairfield County, Stamford | featured news

STAMFORD-City police Chief Jon Fontneau says being aware of your surroundings, carrying credit cards not cash and realizing things may not always be the way they appear is advice that will help keep residents happy and safe through the holiday season.

As a way to get more advice out to the public, the chief has asked that each day over a five-day period we print list of helpful tips that will help residents navigate the Christmas holidays.

Shopping Tips

Keep your purse close to your body.

Avoid talking on cell phones while walking through malls, parking lots, sidewalks.

STAMFORD — A city man working at a restaurant next to the Stamford courthouse was charged with stealing and cashing more than 50 checks from the establishment worth just over $34,000, police say.

George Spiro Moschos, 45, of Seaton Road was charged with one count of second-degree larceny and 53 counts of forgery. He is being held in lieu of a $50,000 court appearance bond.

Sgt. Steve Perrotta said the manager of the restaurant Six Thirteen on Prospect Street made a complaint to police last month when he figured the restaurant should have more cash coming in.

STAMFORD — A seasonal city employee was charged with stealing and cashing another employee’s paycheck in October.

Kyle Velazquez, 21, of Stamford, was charged with felony second-degree larceny — defrauding a public entity — and released after posting a $25,000 court appearance bond.

According to his five-page arrest affidavit, in mid October a $415 check came up missing for another seasonal employee working for the Stamford Parks Department. Property crimes investigator Paul DeRiu quickly determined that the check had been cashed by a Georgia bank via an online cashing service.

STAMFORD — New York State police continue to say that their investigation into the untimely death of Stamford real estate attorney Matthew Klein has not turned up any evidence of foul play. Senior Investigator Matthew Manza said he was unsure when the investigation into the 62-year-old Stamford attorney’s death would wrap up. “We are making sure we do a thorough investigation,” he said Tuesday afternoon. Manza said nothing at this point has come to investigators attention to make them think anything criminal happened to Klein.

STAMFORD-A middle aged pedestrian ended up walking away after being nearly run over by a car as he crossed East Main at on the same corner where a female pedestrian was seriously injured one year ago. The accident occurred on Monday just before 9 a.m. at the corner of East Main and Lafayette Street. The video from the East Main Market shows the 56-year-old man waiting at the corner with his small terrier on a leash.

STAMFORD-Police are investigating the possible assault of a man outside a city strip club early Monday morning.

Just after midnight on Monday, a man bleeding from the face walked into the Mystique Gentleman’s Club on Poplar Street asking for help. The 27-year-old man had a severe injury to his face, Sgt. Simon Blanc said.

The Stamford man was rushed to Stamford Hospital but said he was having trouble remembering the sequence of events that led to his injuries. He told police that he was at the club on Sunday evening and he walked out of the establishment about 7:45 p.m. Sunday.

The body of a missing Connecticut man was found in a Pound Ridge, N.Y. driveway on Saturday.

New York State Police and the Pound Ridge Police Department are asking for the public’s help after a dead man was found at 496 Long Ridge Road in Pound Ridge, N.Y.

After returning home, a homeowner said he found a dead body in his driveway next to a car, according to New York State Police. Police later realized the man was in a missing person bulletin in Connecticut.

Police said there were no signs of foul play at the scene.

STAMFORD - City police said two people were charged Friday afternoon after a road rage incident got out of hand.

Stamford Police Sgt. Brian Butler said a cyclist, identified as Peter C. Brooks, 60, of Stamford, was riding on Shippan Avenue when a BMW sped past him.

Butler said Brooks told police he was “fed up with people having no respect for bicyclists,” so he followed the vehicle onto Rippowam Road, where the vehicle stopped.

Butler said Brooks then began screaming at the vehicle’s driver, Richard DeGabriel, 55, of Stamford.

STAMFORD — A city man who police say bragged about finding stolen cars for sale with counterfeit serial numbers has been charged with being in possession and altering the vehicle identification number of a car stolen last year in Washington, D.C.

According to the five-page arrest warrant of Darren Baldwin, property crimes officer Richard Vetter launched an investigation in October when he was tipped off to the stolen car scheme.

Baldwin was arrested on drug charges in October and Vetter discovered the serial number of the 2012 Acura TL he was driving had no prior history before it was reg

STAMFORD — A trendy South End eatery was shut down by the health department this week after inspectors found it didn’t have hot water needed for hand-washing and sanitizing equipment.

Harlan Social was ordered closed Thursday by the Stamford Health Department after inspectors learned its hot water heater wasn’t working. The restaurant’s executive chef said it was expected to reopen Friday night after a temporary heater was installed.

“This food service establishment does not meet minimal standards set by regulations of the Connectiut state Department of Health ...