Fairfield County, Stamford | featured news

STAMFORD — City police said a 7-year-old boy was hit by a motor vehicle at about 8:20 Wednesday morning as he was walking to school.

The child, police said, walking by himself in a crosswalk at Willowbrook Avenue and Hale Street when he was struck by a vehicle making a left turn. The driver was still at the scene when police arrived and was cited for failure to yield right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

The boy was treated at the scene for a graze mark on his head and taken to Stamford Hospital as a precaution, police said.

kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com

STAMFORD — A motorcyclist accused of fleeing an accident was arrested this week after police say he called a friend for a ride while on the run from officers.

Police Sgt. Jennifer Pinto said Bartosz Kurpiecki, 27, of Stamford, ran away after hitting the back of a minivan with his motorcycle in the 200 block of Long Ridge Road about 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Witnesses told officers they saw Kurpiecki jump out of some bushes and get into a BMW on Long Ridge Road, Pinto said.

Pinto said the BMW belonged to an acquaintance of Kurpiecki.

STAMFORD — A damning text message sent just before a city man allegedly nearly hacked another man’s hand off with a saw in a jealous fit of rage over two years ago played a central role in closing arguments of a trial at the Stamford courthouse.

Arguments made to the six person jury early Tuesday afternoon ended the week-long trial of Cesar Olivero, who is facing up to 50 years in jail after being accused of first-degree assault, burglary and home invasion in a bloody late night assault that took place in a Camp Avenue condominium complex on June 25, 2015.

STAMFORD - Police held a city man over the weekend, charging him in an assault of his girlfriend and twisting the woman’s arm so hard that it broke.

On Friday at 4:30 p.m., police were called to Pepper Ridge Road on the report of a woman, who had just escaped her boyfriend after being punched several times in the face.

When police medics arrived the left side of the woman’s face was swollen and her left eye was nearly swollen shut. The woman was also wearing a splint on her left arm, a police report of the incident said.

STAMFORD — City police are warning illegal drug users to be careful after finding three men dead this week in separate incidents of apparent heroin overdoses. Capt. Richard Conklin said the most recent spike of drug-related deaths is being investigated and there appears to be no connection between the men. The recent surge compares to a single day in July when two men and a woman were treated for overdoses in Stamford. One of the men died. “Unfortunately, regionally and nationally, we are seeing terrific problems with opioids, heroin, fentanyl and pain killers.

STAMFORD — Experts from government agencies will share resources for doing business internationally during an event marking Global Entrepreneurship Week at the Ferguson Library.

Business leaders will also share their successes in the global arena, as well as presentations by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Connecticut Small Business Development Center, SCORE Fairfield County, state Department of Economic and Community Development and U.S. Department of Commerce.

The event is Monday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ferguson Library, Bedford and Broad streets.

STAMFORD — Since he left Connecticut during a snow storm in February 2001, Franz Barthelemy fell in love, fathered four children, opened up a store in Port Au Prince, Haiti and did security work for the Red Cross after the devastating earthquake there in 2010. His family insists that over the past 16 years the Westhill High School graduate lived a model, law-abiding life on the Caribbean island under his real name until his past caught up to him about a month ago.

STAMFORD — The home invasion trial of a Stamford man accused of letting himself into a Springdale apartment and lying in wait until his former girlfriend’s date arrived before nearly sawing the man’s hand off is set to begin today.

Cesar Oliverio, 37, is facing charges of home invasion, first-degree assault and first-degree burglary for nearly severing the hand of 47-year-old Alex Herrera of Allendale, New Jersey.

An 11th hour attempt at putting together a plea bargain for Oliverio and avoiding trial failed Friday afternoon, court watchers say.

STAMFORD — There’s a chance on Nov. 7 that the Board of Education could remain as is if voters are happy with the state of Stamford Public Schools, as Democratic incumbents Jackie Heftman, Andy George, and Betsy Allyn vie for three open seats. But with three more outside candidates running — Republican Dan Mena, Green Party candidate Jackie Pioli, and unaffiliated candidate Theresa Robbins — there’s the possibility voters might swing for the unknown. Even if the incumbents keep their seats, there will still be a shifting of Board leadership.

STAMFORD — The Exchange Club Parenting Skills Center wants to dispel a popular myth: that childhood abuse and neglect isn’t a big issue in our community.

“It’s right here,” the organization’s executive director Donna Miller said, “and this is Fairfield County.”

Nationwide, the problem is staggering.