MONROE, Conn. — A 21-year-old Monroe man was charged with DUI following a one-car-crash on Turkey Roost Road Wednesday night, when his Toyota Corolla crossed over the center line, went off the road and struck a Charter Communications cable box, a mailbox and a garbage can as the vehicle’s front bumper was torn off, according to police.
The vehicle continued across a lawn in the 200-block of Turkey Roost Road for about 50 feet, before the driver left the scene of the accident, police said.
At approximately 6:32 p.m., a passerby reported seeing the disabled Toyota on Turkey Roost, about a half mile down the street and told officers the driver was sleeping, slumped over the wheel, with the keys in the ignition and the engine still running.
The resident took the keys from the vehicle, woke up the driver and called 911, according to the report.
Officers assessed damage from the accident and spoke with the driver, who denied having had any alcohol at all nor taking drugs, police said, adding he was evaluated for any medical issues.
The Monroe man had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on him and his eyes were glossy, police said, adding two empty nip bottles for alcoholic drinks were found in his pocket and a third one was found under the driver’s seat.
Field sobriety tests were not performed to standard and breath tests taken at headquarters showed a blood alcohol level that was roughly four times over the legal limit, police said.
He was charged with DUI, failure to drive in the proper lane and evading responsibility and released on seven percent of his $500 bond for a March 24 court date.
DUI on Pepper Street
A 34-year-old Seymour man was charged with DUI following a traffic stop on Pepper Street late Thursday afternoon.
At approximately 4:26 p.m., police received a report of a black pickup truck being driven erratically on Route 59, heading toward Monroe from Easton.
An officer later observed a black 2017 Dodge Ram truck turning right onto Main Street from Route 59, then turned around to see the truck spin its tires, before cutting in front of several vehicles and turning left onto Pepper Street at a high rate of speed, according to the report.
The officer caught up to the pickup truck on Pepper Street and initiated a traffic stop. The driver reportedly said he was coming from a job site in Norwalk. Police said the officer could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the driver’s breath and he admitted to having had three beers.
Field sobriety tests were not performed to standard and a breath test taken at police headquarters showed a blood alcohol level that was roughly double the legal limit, police said.
The driver was charged with DUI, failure to drive in the proper lane, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, traveling too fast for conditions and an unsafe start (spinning the tires). He was released after posting 7 percent of his $500 bond for a March 24 court date.
Goat dies in shed fire
A goat died in a shed fire on upper Barn Hill Road early Wednesday morning, according to Monroe Fire Chief Kevin Catalano.
At approximately 4:20 a.m., volunteer firefighters from Monroe, Stevenson and Stepney responded to the call to find an animal enclosure fully engulfed in flames.
“Unfortunately a goat was killed in the fire, while a second goat escaped unharmed,” Catalano said in a post on the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page.
He said firefighters worked at the scene for about an hour, contending with a long hose stretch to reach the fire from a yard on Blue Spruce Lane, along with steep snow on the ground amid icy conditions.
Facebook scam
A Monroe woman reported being scammed out of $1,500, while trying to buy vehicles from someone posing as her friend on Facebook, according to a complaint made Tuesday.
She told officers she saw a posting on her friend’s Facebook page showing a Toyota RAV4 for sale for $6,000, reached out to inquire about it via a direct message, and was told to make a $1,000 deposit through Zelle to hold the vehicle.
On the same Facebook page, police said she saw a Toyota Forerunner on sale for $8,000. Since her husband needed a vehicle, police said she put down an additional $500 to hold it.
Police said she paid a total of $1,500 via Zelle to a name she did not recognize and was given an email address and a backup email address, neither of which she recognized, as well as two phone numbers she didn’t recognize.
After sending the money, she called her friend on the phone only to learn her Facebook account had been hacked and the vehicle sales were fraudulent, police said. Her friend had filed a police report with the Monroe Police Department a day earlier.
Police Lt. Kevin McKellick reminds residents to always contact a friend directly when money is asked for over social media to verify they made the request.
The victim is out $1,500 and went to Wells Fargo to file a fraud complaint.
Stolen cooking oil
Monroe Fish Market, 477 Main St., reported the theft of used cooking oil from a container kept behind the building. The container is owned by a New York company that pays for the right to take and recycle the oil.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, officers spoke with an employee who found the oil trap door and protective grate over it left open. Security footage showed a white van parked behind the store at 4:18 a.m. on Feb. 27, with a hose connected from the back of the vehicle to the grease trap, police said.
Officers are working to establish how much oil was stolen and to track down the van and the driver.
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