MARINE DISTRICT

FISHING ARRESTS
On October 02, 2011 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Officer Persico was on an evening patrol shift and was conducting a check of the State owned Dock Road Boat Launch in Waterford. Officer Persico saw two males in a vehicle towing a small boat and trailer leaving the area. As the the vehicle passed him he recognized the individuals in the vehicle as persons whom he had issued tickets to in the past for marine fishing violations. Officer Persico made a motor vehicle stop and found the two individuals to be in possession of two coolers filled with fish. Officer Persico checked the individuals and found one of their fishing licenses were suspended. Officer Persico called Sgt. Kane to the scene to assist and 120 pounds of Bluefish and Striped Bass were seized. The individual was cited for fishing with a suspended license.

On October 04, 2011 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Officers Tavares, Bouthillier, and Sgt. Kane were working on a complaint of illegal Striped Bass being brought into a private dock in Stonington. Officer Tavares was working the complaint in pain clothes and Officer Bouthillier and Sgt. Kane were conducting surveillance waiting for the vessel and occupants to return to the dock. The vessel came into the dock after approximately six hours and was approached by Officer Tavares. The two male occupants on the vessel had twelve Striped Bass on board that were taken using a spear gun. The individuals stated that the Striped Bass were speared off Block Island in the state of Rhode Island. The two individuals were placed under arrest for exceeding the possession limit of two fish each and 420 pounds of Striped Bass were seized.

On October 11, 2011 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Officer Tavares was conducting surveillance on a fishing vessel off of Latimer Point in Stonington. Officer Tavares saw the vessel come into a private dock and place a bag of fish on the dock. As the vessel was attempting to leave the area Officer Tavares approached and called the vessel back to the dock. The bag contained several Black Sea Bass for which the season was closed. The vessel operator was cited for possession of Black Sea Bass during a closed season.

BOAT ACCIDENT

On October 09, 2011 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Officer Vroman and Sgt. Kane were dispatched to a vessel accident in the Niantic River in Waterford. After arriving on scene it was determined that a fourteen foot vessel had capsized in the channel of the Niantic River under the Route 156 Bridge and that four persons were in the water. The area was heavily congested with vessel traffic and a Good Samaritan had managed to pull the persons from the water. The vessel was located and was towed to a nearby marina. The four persons did not sustain any injuries and their vessel was returned to them.

DEER HUNTING ARREST

On October 24, 2011, En-Con Police Officer Steve Stanko received information that a deer had been recently taken illegally with a firearm in East Hampton by a suspected poacher. Officers Stanko and Harold Lindo responded to the suspect’s residence, where the suspect showed them a headless, skinned six-point buck with no wound marks of any type. The seventy-one-year-old male suspect stated he had taken the deer with bow and arrow on a friend’s property four days earlier, but could not provide written permission to hunt the property, did not have a completed kill tag for the deer, and was later found by computer records to have failed to report his kill. The suspect was arrested for these three misdemeanor violations and the deer was seized for evidence pending court action.

BOATING ACCIDENT

On October 16, 2011 En-Con Police Officers Todd Chemacki and Jeffrey Samorajczyk responded to the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook for a reported boat accident. Upon arrival, they found a small open vessel with four people aboard had headed down the river near the outer breakwater, encountered heavy wave and wind action, then decided to turn around and return up river. The vessel’s engine failed which resulted in the boat going up on the breakwater rocks. All four individuals got onto the breakwall safely and were transported to Saybrook Point. The vessel was later recovered and is a total loss.

TRESPASSING AT HAMMONASSET

On October 24, 2011 at about 0550 hours, Madison Police advised the Emergency Dispatch Center of a possible motorcycle accident within Hammonasset Beach State Park, reported by a male they had just arrested for drug violations outside the park. En-Con Police Officers Steven Stanko, Robert Monday and Sergeant Eric Lundin responded to the park, where the motorcycle was located just inside the maintenance entrance. It was registered to the fifty-five year-old male already in Madison police custody, and had apparently been dumped inside the park. The male admitted to the officers that he and some friends had accessed the park illegally in the middle of the night (using a bicycle trail) and had a fire on the beach. Evidence of a fire was found but no other individuals were located. The male was cited for trespassing, fire and road use violations.


WESTERN DISTRICT

Assault at Indian Well State Park

On October 4th, EnCon Police Officers Michael Curran and Holly Bernier received a report of an assault at Indian Well State Park. The victim reported that he was walking with a friend back to her vehicle at the upper parking lot at Indian Well State Park. A Jeep stopped near the victim and two subjects exited the vehicle and began punching him. After assaulting the victim the two subjects got back into their vehicle and left the scene. The victim reported that he knew the subjects that had assaulted him. Shelton Police Department also knew the subjects from a previous incident. Shelton police located the subjects at the Shelton Skate Park and took them into custody. Officer Curran and Bernier then arrested the two subjects at the Shelton Police Department charging them both with Breach of Peace 2nd degree.

Deer Hunting Arrest

For the past several years, EnCon Police have received complaints in the Sharon Mountain area of northwestern Connecticut regarding deer poaching. Area residents reported suspicious vehicles bearing Massachusetts license plates dropping off and picking up hunters in full camouflage clothing with weapons. They were seen entering and leaving posted private properties in the Sharon Mountain area. In the pre dawn hours on October 8th, an EnCon Police Officer Tate Begley observed a white van with Massachusetts plates turn onto a residential street in Sharon. Officer Begley followed the vehicle for a distance as it made several turns and was able to obtain the license number for the vehicle. Two hours later, Officer Begley observed the same white van parked behind a gas station in Lakeville. Officers Nick Miofsky and Keith Williams arrived and the van was approached. The officers did not observe anyone in the driver’s seat; however they did observe through the van’s window that a person was sleeping beneath a blanket amongst scattered hunting gear and bow cases. After being questioned by Officer Begley, the operator stated that he wasn't a hunter and that he was only the driver. The subject stated to officers that he left Pittsfield, Massachusetts at 4:00 am with three others heading for the Sharon Mt Area where he dropped them off at various locations to hunt deer. Officers Begley and Miofsky with cooperation from the driver were able to meet the three hunting suspects at the various locations where they had been dropped off. All three suspects were charged with deer hunting violations and one hunter had illegally killed a deer.



EASTERN DISTRICT

HUNTING

On October 12th, 2011 Officer Matt Stone received a complaint from a hunter regarding another person on a piece of property hunting without permission. The hunter knew he was the only person with permission to hunt the area and called the Emergency Dispatch Center with the information. Officer Stone was able to respond timely and found the illegal hunter had parked in a field adjacent to the area he was hunting. Upon further investigation and a short search of the woods, Officer Stone determined the deer hunter had been hunting the area with a bow and arrow and did not have written consent of the landowner, nor was he carrying his license or deer tags as required. The poacher was arrested and had his equipment confiscated. He was released on a summons to appear in court. This particular poacher has been arrested by EnCon Police multiple times in the past for hunting and fishing violations.

On October 22nd, 2011 Officers Danielson, DeFelice, Stone, and Wojcik responded to a Hunting Related Shooting Incident in a case where one hunter shot at and killed a pheasant and several pellets from the shot hit another person hunting nearby. The victim was transported by EnCon Police to Windham Hospital for medical treatment. The alleged shooter was cooperative during the investigation and arrested on scene for shooting toward a person when within range. He was released on a summons to appear in court.
On October 29th, 2011 Officers Wojcik, Danielson, and Pettus responded to the town of Chaplin for a T.I.P. complaint regarding a man shooting a deer from his garage. Further investigation determined that in fact a deer had been taken illegally by a known poacher with multiple arrests for illegal deer hunting in his past. The poacher was arrested for two counts of Illegal Deer Hunting and his firearm and deer were confiscated. He was released on scene with a Promise to Appear in Court at a later date.

PARK AND FOREST

On October 14th and 17th, 2011, Officer Matt Stone arrested two men stemming from a felony dumping incident that took place at Natchaug State Forest in Eastford back in August 2011. Officer Stone received a complaint of dumping in Natchaug State Forest and upon investigation he determined the location from which the litter had originated. Officer Stone conducted several interviews with the assistance of Officer Jason Williams and found enough probable cause to apply for felony arrest warrants from Danielson Superior Court. The warrants were issued by the court and arrangements were made to arrest both suspects for Illegal Dumping and Criminal Trespass 2nd Degree. Both were held on $5000 surety bonds. One suspect was given a court date of October 25th, 2011 and one suspect held for arraignment.


MOTOR VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT

On October 26th, 2011 Officer Stone was on patrol in the Town of Killingly with a Division Intern when they noticed a truck driver operating erratically on Route 6. Officer Stone followed the suspect vehicle a short distance and determined he was a hazard. He initiated a motor vehicle stop which resulted in the operator being arrested for Driving under the Influence and other motor vehicle violations. The subject was taken into custody and transported to the State Police barracks where he was processed and released with a summons to appear in court.

BURGLARY AT CHATFIELD HOLLOW STATE PARK

On October 10, 2011 ENCON Officers established surveillance at Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth following a series of automobile burglaries at the park and at other state parks in the area. At approximately 1:30 PM two individuals were observed breaking into cars in the parking lot. Officers apprehended the two individuals and arrested both for Burglary 3rd degree, Larceny 6th degree, Criminal Mischief and Possession of burglary tools. Both suspects are scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior court.