NHS Marijuana

Police said they received a call from Newtown High School officials on the morning of May 14 concerning drug possession by a student there.

Police said they went to the school and investigated, charging a 17-year-old boy with possession of less than four ounces of marijuana and with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said they took the boy into custody without incident and then released him to his parents on a written promise to appear May 30 in Danbury Youthful Offender Court. State law shields the identities of people under age 18 who are charged with crimes.

DUI Case

Police report they spotted motorist Douglas J. Friedman, 47, of Port Washington, N.Y., driving southward on Main Street about 12:51 am May 15, after which he failed to properly negotiate the flagpole intersection when making a left turn onto eastbound Church Hill Road.

Friedman then turned around in a parking lot and proceeded westward on Church Hill Road before turning right onto Main Street without signaling, police said.

Police said they stopped Friedman to investigate and gave him sobriety tests.

Police charged Friedman with driving under the influence, a traffic rotary violation, making a restricted turn, and failure to illuminate a rear marker plate.

Police released Friedman on $100 bail for a May 29 court appearance.

Queen Street

About 6:14 pm May 13, police observed motorist Leslye Ayala, 34, of Danbury driving 43 miles per hour southbound on Queen Street, near Borough Lane, exceeding the speed limit in that area.

Police stopped Ayala and charged her with traveling unreasonably fast and with driving with a suspended license.

Police released Ayala on $400 bail for a May 28 court appearance.

Wire Road

Police are investigating a motor vehicle accident in which an unknown driver struck and broke a utility pole on private industrial property on Wire Road. Police learned of the accident about 10:30 pm May 9. Evidence at the scene indicates that the vehicle that broke the pole likely was a tractor-trailer truck. Police ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Officer Andrew Stinson at the police station at 426-5841.

Altercation

Police said that Christy Sanford-Niwa, 49, of 66 Waterview Drive was at Newtown High School on the morning of May 15 and became confrontational with school administrators and the town police officer assigned to work at the high school.

The police officer then told Sanford-Niwa to leave the premises, but she refused to do so, police said.

Police then charged her with first-degree criminal trespassing, breach of peace, and interfering with police. Sanford-Niwa was released from custody on a written promise to appear in Danbury Superior Court on May 29.

MV Charges

Police said they spotted motorist Dewitt Ferguson, 29, of Bridgeport traveling northward on South Main Street with a nonfunctioning taillight at about 7:12 pm May 14, so they stopped him to investigate near 71 South Main Street.

Police charged Ferguson with having a nonfunctioning taillight and with driving with a suspended license. Ferguson was scheduled to appear in court to answer the charges.

Youth Arrested

Police report they stopped a male teenage motorist on Walnut Tree Hill Road about 10 pm May 15 for two motor vehicle violations.

Police issued an infraction to the boy for improper use of multibeam headlamps and for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart. Police said that a review of their outstanding arrest warrants on file indicated that they held a warrant for the youth.

Police then arrested the boy on a charge of fifth-degree larceny stemming from an investigation that police started last January.

Police released the youth to his parents on a written promise to appear in Danbury Youthful Offender Court on May 30. Because the offender is under age 18, his identity is shielded from public disclosure by state law.

 

Great Quarter Road

Just after 1 am on May 16, a vehicle that was parked on private property on Great Quarter Road was illegally entered by two teenagers who searched through it looking for valuables, police said.

The vehicle’s owner was awake in his adjacent home at the time and saw the incident occur, police said.

Police ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Officer Steven Borges at the police station at 426-5841.

Motorcycle Crash

About 5 pm May 11, motorcyclist Jeffrey Robinson, 32, of Derby was driving a 2001 Harley-Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy motorcycle in traffic southward on South Main Street, near Button Shop Road, police said.

After attempting to stop for a southbound noncontact vehicle, which was in front of him, Robinson fell onto the road, but was not injured, police said.

Police verbally warned Robinson for following too closely. They issued him an infraction ticket for driving a motorcycle without a motorcycle license.

Ford Hits Nissan

Motorist Nicholas Mauro, 23, of Branford, who was driving a 2001 Nissan Altima eastward on Berkshire Road about 5:43 pm May 8, began slowing for traffic conditions, after which eastbound motorist Katherine Cochrane, 16, of 17 Kelly Court, who was driving a 2003 Ford Escape SUV, drove into the rear end of the Nissan, police said.

There were no injuries. Police noted that Cochrane holds a learner’s permit for new drivers and was accompanied by an adult passenger who is properly licensed. Police issued Cochrane a written warning for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

Toddy Hill Road

Motorist Pamela Purrone, 38, of Kaechele Drive, who was driving a 2008 Subaru station wagon northward on Toddy Hill Road about 7:35 am May 13, slowed in preparing to turn left onto Turkey Roost Road, when the Subaru was struck from behind by northbound motorist Patrick O’Loughlin, 39, of Brighton, Mass., who was driving a 1997 Chevrolet van, police report.

There were no injuries. O’Loughlin received an infraction for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart.

House Keys

Police are holding for safekeeping a set of house keys, with a religious medallion attached to the key chain, which were found at Dickinson Park at 50 Elm Drive on May 18. The medallion bears an inscription. The keys’ owner is asked to contact Officer Matthew Wood at the police station at 3 Main Street, telephone 426-5841.

Windshield

Police report that at about 7:20 pm May 16 in the Washington Avenue area, they stopped motorist Mary Dunlap, 48, of Brookfield after noticing that the vehicle that she was driving had a cracked windshield.

After investigating, police charged Dunlap with driving with a defective windshield and with driving with a suspended license.

Police released Dunlap on $50 bail for an upcoming appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

 

Drug Charges

While on patrol about 11 pm May 14, police stopped motorist Daniel Wiener, 19, of 9 Marlin Road for a motor vehicle violation on Church Hill Road.

After investigating, police charged Wiener with failure to illuminate headlamps, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police released Wiener from custody on a written promise to appear in court on May 29.

Home Improvement

After learning that police held a warrant for his arrest, Dieison Silva, 29, of Bethel turned himself in the police station on the morning of May 16 and was charged with making or offering to make home improvements without a state certificate or registration.

The state Attorney General’s office had issued the warrant in connection with an incident that had occurred in town, police said.

Police released Silva on a written promise to appear in court May 22.

South Main Crash

About 6:17 pm May 16, motorist John Goodman, 67, of 31 Pole Bridge Road, who was driving a 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, was attempting to make a right turn from a driveway at 78 South Main Street onto southbound South Main Street, as motorist Sara Edgerton, 19, of 6 Shepaug Road was driving a 2002 Dodge Neon sedan southward on South Main Street, police said.

The two vehicles collided. There were no injuries. Police gave Goodman an infraction for failure to grant the right of way.

 

Bad Brakes

Motorist Edgar Rojas, 35, of New York City was driving a 1983 Chevrolet 7500 truck westward on Berkshire Road, about 250 feet east of its intersection with Pole Bridge Road, at about 7:20 am May 12, when he realized that his brakes were defective, police report.

Rojas then steered to the right into the Misty Vale Deli & General Store parking lot at 51 Berkshire Road, and drove through the parking lot, coming to rest positioned against some trees and bushes, police said.

Rojas was not injured. Police issued him a written warning for driving a vehicle with defective brakes.

Lexus RX-300

Motorist Michelle Velthuizen, 21, of 44 Mt Pleasant Road was driving a 1995 Subaru Legacy sedan westward near 57 Church Hill Road about 5:43 pm May 16 and then stopped for traffic conditions, police said.

Westbound motorist Nicole Grillo, 17, of 7 Winter Ridge Road, who was driving a 2002 Lexus RX-300 SUV carrying three teenage passengers, then struck the Subaru from behind, police said.

Velthuizen reported neck pain, but refused medical transport after ambulance volunteers came to the accident scene, police said.

Police verbally warned Grillo for following too closely.

Flagpole Intersection

About 6:50 pm on May 15, motorist Christine Anthony, 35, of 15 Maltbie Road, who was driving a 2007 Volkswagen Passat southward on Main Street, began to make a left turn onto eastbound Church Hill Road, but then stopped during the turn to allow a pedestrian on a crosswalk to cross the street, police said.

Motorist James Carpenter, 51, of 11 Taunton Lane, who was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, then struck the Volkswagen from behind, police said.

There were no injuries. Police said that Carpenter was following too closely.

Rear-Ender

Motorist Helen Sittard, 62, of 8 Cedar Hill Road, who was driving a 2003 Mercedes-Benz ML-320 SUV northward on South Main Street about 4 pm May 18, stopped in preparing to turn left onto Cedar Hill Road, police said.

Northbound motorist Jose Dumont, 34, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who was driving a 2002 Toyota Echo, then hit the Mercedes from behind, police said.

There were no injuries. Police charged Dumont with driving under the influence and with following too closely. Police released Dumont on $100 bail for a June 3 court appearance.

Probation Violation

After learning that police held a warrant for her arrest, Mary Rose Julian, 20, of Fairfield turned herself in at the police station on the afternoon of May 17, and was arrested on a charge of violation of probation.

The charge stems from an initial incident in July 2005, in which police arrested Julian on charges including credit card theft and second-degree larceny, police said.

Julian posted $25,000 bail and was released from custody for a June 3 court appearance.

Moving Violations

Police report they stopped motorist Thomas Montague, 28, of 58 Main Street about 9:30 am on May 18 after they saw him driving on Wasserman Way without wearing a seatbelt.

Police said they charged Montague with failure to wear a seatbelt and with driving with a suspended license. Police released Montague on a written promise to appear in court on May 29.

Three Charges

Police said that at about 7 pm May 18, they stopped motorist Robert Brooks, 63, of Bridgeport on southbound Toddy Hill Road after they saw him illegally pass another southbound driver.

Police charged Brooks with passing in a no-passing zone, driving an unregistered vehicle, and with driving with a suspended license.

Brooks posted $100 bail for a June 3 court appearance.

Marijuana

State police report they stopped motorist Sherri Wilson, 27, of Waterbury for a motor vehicle violation near Exit 10 of Interstate 84 about 1:40 am May 15.

After investigating, state police charged her with speeding and with possession of less than four ounces of marijuana.

Wilson posted $1,000 bail for a June 2 court appearance.

Prius Hit

About 9:47 am May 17, motorist Michael O’Connor, 61, of 2 King Street, who was driving a 2007 Toyota Prius southward on South Main Street, slowed in order to make a left turn at South Main Street’s northern intersection with Peck’s Lane, police report.

An unknown southbound motorist then struck the Toyota from behind and drove away from the scene southward on South Main Street before police arrived to investigate. O’Connor was not injured, police said.