MONROE, CT — A 34-year-old local woman told police her Facebook account and phone number were hacked and a sham page was created advertising the sale of puppies. The fraudulent page also had a photo with the street view of the victim’s house, obtained from the Internet.
She soon started receiving calls from people accusing her of ripping them off and demanding she give them their $200 back for the puppies they never received.
Police said the identity theft victim has since contacted Facebook to report the scam and have the page taken down. But she called police out of concern for her own safety.
Police are investigating the incident to determine who hacked the victim’s accounts and received money from other victims in the puppy sale scam.
The complaint was filed on Saturday.
‘I know where you live’
A 36-year-old Shelton man was given a ticket for failure to stop for a school bus after an incident in the 500-block of Elm Street Friday afternoon.
A father told officers he was waiting in front of his house for his son’s school bus to arrive. When the bus came, a white 2008 Subaru Impreza, heading north on Elm Street, approached at a high rate of speed.
The parent said he started waving his arms and yelling, “slow down! There’s kids out here!”
Then the pickup came to a stop alongside the bus, next to its stop sign, according to the report.
The driver allegedly threatened to beat up the father, telling him he knows where he lives, before leaving the scene.
Police said officers tracked down the driver and gave him the ticket based upon witness statements and video evidence from the parent and the bus company.
DUI on Main
An anonymous call led to the DUI arrest of a 48-year-old Stratford man on Main Street Saturday night.
At approximately 7:31 p.m., a driver called 911 to report that a black 2006 Ford F250 heading north allegedly crossed over the double yellow center line several times, while driving extremely slow, at around 10 mph.
Officers found the truck three minutes later, parked on the side of road, partially on the grass in the 780-block of Route 25. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel with a foot on the brake and the truck still in drive, according to police.
Police said officers woke him up and instructed him to turn off his truck and give them the keys.
The driver spoke with a slurred speech that was inaudible, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, he appeared groggy when he spoke and had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath, according to the report
Field sobriety tests determined he was under the influence, leading to his arrest, police said, adding he refused further testing.
Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel evaluated the driver, who declined further medical treatment, police said.
Argument over loud music escalates
A Birchwood Road man was charged in a domestic incident Saturday night, after he allegedly grabbed the phone out of the female victim’s hands and threw it when she was talking to a 911 dispatcher during an argument.
He was charged with third-degree assault, interfering with an emergency call, disorderly conduct, second-degree criminal mischief and risk of injury to a child.
Police said the last charge was because a child was present at the house, though the minor was not involved in the incident.
He was released on $10,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Police said the argument started over loud music the victim was playing while cleaning the house when the male resident came home, before escalating.
Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel evaluated the victim, who had minor injuries with marks on her arm, according to police.
The incident occurred around 9:32 p.m.
Unemployment scam
A 33-year-old Monroe woman told police someone tried to fraudulently file for unemployment benefits in her name.
Police said she is employed and never applied, adding she did not suffer a financial loss and was advised to report the fraud to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration and the three major credit bureaus.
She was also advised to monitor her credit and inform her credit card companies and bank about the incident.
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