Eastern District

Park and Forest
On June 8th, 2012 Officer Pettus was on routine patrol of the Dianas Pool area when she noticed a couple drinking beer. She approached the pair and advised them of the violation and the fact that they would be receiving infractions for the same. Upon further investigation she determined that there was a Protective Order against the two people stating they were required to have no contact and keep at least 100 feet from each other. Due to the fact that they were well within the 100 foot distance and conversing, Officer Pettus took one of the two into custody and placed her under arrest for the felony violation of a protective order. She was taken to CSP Troop D in Danielson and processed and released on a $500 non-surety bond and a next day arraignment.

On Monday, June 11th, 2012 at approximately 11:00 PM,SCO Marvin was on routine patrol in the area of the Soapstone Mountain Tower when he noticed a vehicle concealed in the woods. He exited his patrol vehicle to investigate and could hear voices coming from the Tower area. SCO Marvin approached the voices and conducted surveillance for a short time before determining that there were three individuals that had broken into the communications tower and were causing a disturbance. SCO Marvin called for back-up from CSP Troop C and then was able to apprehend two of the three subjects. A third person escaped into the woods where he was later found by a CSP K-9 unit. All three subjects were on probation at the time and all three were taken into custody and processed at CSP Troop C.

On Saturday, June 30th, 2012 EnCon Police received a complaint of a missing 12 year old autistic boy at Bigelow Hollow State Park. The boy had disappeared while fishing at Bigelow Hollow Pond with his father and brothers around 11 AM. The father of the boy called 911 and EnCon Officers Pettus, Williams, Vroman, Stanko and SCO Marvin, as well as Officer Crossman with K-9 Ellie and Sgt. Tomassone responded to the area. EnCon Police brought several assets including boats, ATV’s and a K-9 to assist with the search. Numerous Connecticut State Police Officers also responded to include K-9 units, Search and Rescue Team, and Dive Team Members. Numerous area fire departments also responded including Union, Willington, Ashford, Woodstock, Bolton, Stafford, West Stafford, and others. A large scale search of the area was conducted with attempts to have Massachusetts State Police and Environmental Police responded as well. After a lengthy search, the missing boy turned up at a residence in Ashford approximately five miles south of Bigelow Hollow State Park. He was uninjured but was checked by EMS and taken to Hartford Children’s Hospital for observation.


ATV
On June 24th, 2012 Officer Scatena responded to a complaint of ATV’s in the area of Airline Trail State Forest in Windham along the Shetucket River. Upon her arrival she spoke with the complainant who stated that he believed it was approximately 30 individuals on ATV’s and he also believed there were guns being shot and alcohol being consumed by the group. Officer Danielson, Sgt. Tomassone, SCO Marvin, and CSP Troop K Troopers Brezniak and Maynard responded as back up. Officer Danielson entered the woods surrounding the area and found several of the offending people with their ATV’s who had seen the police presence and were hiding in the woods. Officer Danielson was able to apprehend some of the violators and obtained identification. He walked them back out to their vehicles where they were written several infractions each for operating unregistered, operating on state property, and trespassing. EnCon Police regularly receive ATV complaints in the area.
On June 29th, 2012 a small ATV operation was conducted on the Airline Trail State Park system in Thompson and Chaplin with Officers Stanko and Danielson as well as Sgt. Tomassone. Two people were issued infractions for operating unregistered ATV’s and several others escaped apprehension.


Marine District

Hammonasset Beach State Park

June was a busy month for Environmental Conservation police officers and Special Conservation Officers (SCOs), as they responded to 7 medical calls, 8 missing children, and 3 swimmers in distress, along with numerous other calls for service / assistance. Citations and warnings were issued for 12 complaints of alcohol on the beach, 17 minors in possession of alcohol (campgrounds), and 5 citations for marijuana possession. On June 9th, after midnight, Officer Monday with Madison Police assistance investigated the theft of three coolers with alcohol from the campgrounds, resulting in the arrest of two individuals (including a park lifeguard) for larceny, trespass and interfering charges. Officer Monday and SCO Savage later that same afternoon responded to a campground complaint and found ten minors renting campsites in possession of numerous 30-packs of beer and 17 bottles of hard liquor for the upcoming night. All were cited and evicted. On June 18th, Officers Monday, O’Brien, Reilly, and SCO Lewin investigated a littering complaint at West Beach, which resulted in multiple citations for littering, minors with alcohol and possession of marijuana.

Boating Accidents, BUI Enforcement

On June 10th, Officer Lindo was on vessel patrol on the Connecticut River in Haddam when he was asked to locate a vessel for Middletown police that might have been involved in a domestic at a riverside restaurant in their town. Officer Lindo located the vessel and eventually contacted the operator at Haddam Meadows state boat launch, where the subject appeared to be under the influence. SCOs DiPietro, Willard, Sgt. Lundin, and Middletown officers arrived to assist, and the subject failed field sobriety tests and was arrested on a Boating Under the Influence (BUI) charge.

On June 17th, Officer Persico and Sgt. Lundin responded to the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook along with Old Saybrook’s marine police unit for a collision involving a 43’ powerboat versus a 20’ Boston Whaler. No one was injured, but both vessels were damaged. EnCon Police are investigating the incident.

On June 26th, Officers DeFelice, Persico and Sgt. Lundin responded to Old Lyme Headquarters after a Good Samaritan picked up two 16 year old males from a capsized sailboat in the Connecticut River off Old Saybrook and dropped them off at the headquarters’ dock. Both parties refused medical treatment, and Old Saybrook units assisted with the vessel’s recovery.

As part of the third annual national ‘Operation Drywater’ initiative to curb drunken boating and heighten awareness of alcohol use on the water, five EnCon Police officers were joined by officers from Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, Essex, CT State Police Emergency Services Unit, and US Coast Guard to check boaters for safe operation and to detect operators who might be boating under the influence, primarily around the Connecticut River Baldwin Bridge state launch. Five patrol vessels from the various agencies blanketed the lower CT River and adjacent Long Island Sound, making nearly one hundred vessel contacts and issuing citations and warnings for failure to carry lifejackets, registration and certificate violations, as well as wake zone violations.


Western District

Missing person in state forest

On June 9th, EnCon Police Officer Mike Curran responded to the Highrock Range in Naugatuck State Forest, Naugatuck to a report of an abandoned vehicle in the range parking lot. Officer Curran determined from the registration number of the vehicle that the owner of the vehicle had been reported as a missing person in Waterbury two days earlier.

EnCon Police personnel including Officer Erin Crossman and EnCon Police K9 Ellie Mae started a search of the area in an attempt to locate the individual. As it became apparent that additional resources were needed the State Police K9 unit was contacted for assistance. A search using six K9’s continued through sunset without finding the individual. On June 10th the search continued with EnCon Police personnel, State Police K9’s and members of the Oxford and Beacon Falls volunteer fire departments. After a day of searching with K9’s, on foot, with ATV’s and on horseback the individual was still not located. Canine units continued the search for three more days until the missing individual was located next to the railroad tracks along the Naugatuck River by a DOT employee. The individual stated that he had fallen while hiking and was trying to crawl to the river for water. The subject was transported to Waterbury Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.


Disorderly conduct at state park ticket booth

On June 16th EnCon Police Officer Sean Buckley responded to Kettletown State Park in Southbury for a report of an unruly park patron. Officer Buckley determined that a subject had entered the park after paying the entry fee. Then after seeing the quality of the water in Lake Zoar the subject returned to the ticket booth and demanded his money back. When advised that refunds were not given the subject blocked the entrance to the park and was verbally abusive to the park employee in the ticket booth. Officer Buckley arrested the subject for disorderly conduct and evicted him from the park.

Brawl at state park

On June 20th EnCon Police Officer Paul Hilli received a report from State Police Troop B that there was a report of 5 to 10 people fighting on the beach at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington. Initial reports were that at least one subject had a knife. Officer Hilli was backed up by state troopers from Troop B. Upon Officer Hilli’s arrival the fight had calmed down and Officer Hilli interviewed all the subjects involved. Based upon his interviews, Officer Hilli had sufficient information to arrest one individual for Creating a Public Disturbance.


Armed robbery in state park

On June 22nd EnCon Police Officers Matt Stone and Sean Buckley responded to a report of an armed robbery in the parking lot at Osbornedale State Park in Derby. The officers arrived and met with the victim who had a laptop computer stolen from him. The victim advised the officers that he had posted an add online to sell the computer and was contacted by a buyer who requested that they meet at Osbornedale. When the victim got to the park and got out of his vehicle he was approached by two individuals, one of whom told the victim that he had a knife and took the laptop computer. The two subjects then fled the area. Based upon information provided by the victim, witnesses and the Derby Police, Officer Stone was able to identify one of the subjects. That subject was located at his home in Waterbury and taken into custody. The subject still had the laptop computer in his possession when arrested. The subject was charged with Robbery 2nd degree and Larceny 2nd degree. EnCon Police are still attempting to locate the second subject.

Boat accident on Lake Zoar

On June 24th EnCon Police Officer Jeff Bruno responded to Lake Zoar in Newtown for report of a boating accident. Officer Bruno determined that a19 year old female who was tubing behind a motorboat was struck by the propeller of the boat as she tried to climb onto the swim platform. The victim suffered non-life threatening lacerations to her lower legs.

Yeh, what he said! Thanks!