Warrants Served

Newtown police said they served warrants against Kelly Whitman, 30, of Norwich on January 18 at York Correctional Center, a state women’s prison in Niantic. As she was being discharged from that prison, police charged Whitman with three counts of failure to appear in court, one count of violation of probation, and one count of driving under the influence. The charges stem from a past incident. Police said they held Whitman on a $10,000 bond for a January 19 appearance in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

MV Violation

Police said they saw motorist Meredith L. Munger, 36, of 43 Flat Swamp Road driving a Jeep eastbound on Route 302 on which there was no registration sticker on the rear marker plate about 3 pm January 11. A record check indicated that the marker plate belonged on another vehicle, police said.

Police issued Munger a misdemeanor summons on a charge of improper use of a motor vehicle registration. Munger was scheduled to appear in Danbury Superior Court January 19 to answer the charge.

Rear-End Crash

Police report a two-vehicle collision on Church Hill Road about 4 pm January 19.

Police said motorist Kathleen Simoneau, 51, of 7 Crabapple Lane, Sandy Hook, was driving a 1997 Nissan Quest minivan westbound in heavy traffic when westbound motorist Jeffrey A. Peters, 17, of 9 Arrowhead Lane, Sandy Hook, who was driving a 1980 Dodge Shadow, struck the Nissan from behind.

I-84 DUI

State police said motorist Joseph A. Pearsall, 37, of New Fairfield parked his vehicle in the right lane of eastbound Interstate-84 near Exit 10 and fell asleep in it on the night of January 21. State police said when they found the parked vehicle about 8 pm, Pearsall woke up and was found to be under the influence of alcohol after failing filed sobriety tests and breath tests.

State police charged Pearsall with driving under the influence and improper parking, later releasing him on a $500 non-surety bond for a January 29 appearance in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

Garner Assault

State police report that an inmate at Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high security prison at 50 Nunnawauk Road, allegedly assaulted a correction officer on the morning of January 17.

State police said inmate Carlos Beltran, 34, whose hands were handcuffed together, allegedly struck correction officer Todd Sonntag in the head with his hands, which resulted in a scuffle to restrain Beltran.

State police said Sonntag injured his left wrist and left forearm in the incident.

State police said they plan to seek an arrest warrant against Beltran.

Vandalism

State police report a case of vandalism at Fairfield Hills, the state psychiatric institution that closed in 1995.

State police said they learned January 15 that the Yale Laboratory at Fairfield Hills and two Town of Newtown trucks had had the numerals “1199” and an illegible word spray-painted on them in orange paint.

The town parks some of its trucks near Yale Laboratory, which is a former morgue. Town workers who have offices in nearby Canaan House use the trucks.

The numerals “1199” may refer to the number of the local chapter of the health care workers union which represented state employees who formerly worked at Fairfield Hills.

State police are investigating the case of criminal mischief.

Tractor-Trailer

State police said tractor-trailer truck driver Todd E. Chamberlin, 33, of Dayville was traveling in the left lane of two lanes on eastbound Interstate 84, west of Exit 9 in Hawleyville, about 5:30 pm January 19, while motorist Karen Rosetti, 36, of New Milford was driving a 1994 Dodge Shadow in the adjacent right lane.

An unidentified non-contact vehicle, which was traveling in the highway’s breakdown lane, cut off the Dodge, causing the Dodge to collide with the truck, state police said. There were no injuries, state police said.

 

Truck Vs Car

Motorist Carl F. Lueders, 77, of Danbury was driving a 1997 Mercury in the right lane of westbound Interstate 84 near Exit 9 in Hawleyville about 11:30 am January 17, while tractor-trailer truck driver Warren T. Smith, Jr, 48, of Philadelphia was traveling in the left lane, slightly behind the Mercury, state police said.

Smith told state police he apparently drifted into the right lane and collided with the Mercury. There were no injuries.

State police issued Smith a written warning for failure to drive in the established lane.

 Burglary/Larceny

Police report that someone sometime overnight on January 19-20 stole an electrical generator from a Pine Tree Hill Road home, near the Monroe town line. Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact them at the police station at 426-5841.

Hawleyville Crash

Police said motorist Helena G. Neves, 19, of Danbury, who was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier eastbound on Old Hawleyville Road about noon January 19, lost control of the auto when she drove through standing water and then struck a tree and a stone wall.

Police said the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Ms Neves to Danbury Hospital on a complaint of neck and back pain. Police issued Ms Neves a written warning for making a restricted turn.

Burglary

Police charged a Bethel youth with second-degree burglary and attempted assault on the night of January 18 following an incident at a Castle Hill Road home.

Police said they charged Gabriel Goncalves, 18, with the crimes after he and another youth were reported to have entered a bedroom basement and awakened a sleeping youth there. Four people fled from the scene following the incident, police said.

Police said the incident remains under investigation. Goncalves was released on a promise to appear February 1 in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

Mt Pleasant DUI

Police report that motorist Michael C. Brooks, Jr, 20, of 71 Main Street was driving a 1994 BMW 325 coupe southbound on Mt Pleasant Road near Sawmill Road about 12:50 am January 25 when he lost control of the auto and struck some guardrailing along the southbound shoulder.

Police said Brooks failed field sobriety tests. Police charged him with driving under the influence and making a restricted turn. Police released Brooks on a promise to appear February 6 in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

Church Hill DUI

Police report that an off-duty state trooper informed local police that there was an erratic motorist traveling on Church Hill Road about 10 pm January 24. Town police went to the scene and stopped motorist Dang Tran, 35, of Waterbury. Police charged him with driving under the influence and failure to drive to the right. Police released Tran on a promise to appear February 15 in Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges.

SUV Rollover

Police said motorist Dutra Wallace, 24, of Bridgeport was driving a 1992 Geo Tracker convertible sport-utility vehicle southbound on South Main Street near Blue Spruce Drive in Botsford about 6:24 am January 20 when Wallace lost control of the vehicle on icy pavement, hit an embankment on the right side of the road and rolled over onto the driver’s side. Wallace was not injured, police said. Police verbally warned Wallace for making an improper turn.