MONROE, CT — A crash ended with a tan Land Rover slamming into the Monroe Town and Country Veterinary Hospital building at 607 Main St. Tuesday afternoon.
At approximately 1:49 p.m., police said a 41-year-old Naugatuck man headed north on Route 25 in his 2013 Land Rover, when a blue 2012 Volvo XC70 pulled out in front of him while turning left from the intersection with Bart Road.
The driver of the Land Rover swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting the Volvo and went off the road, striking a curb and a pedestrian traffic signal post, before crashing into the veterinary hospital, badly damaging the building, police said.
The driver complained of an injury to his right wrist and was evaluated by Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service personnel, but declined a trip to the hospital for further treatment, according to the report.
Police said the Naugatuck man told officers he knew his light was green and saw the Volvo enter the intersection, going on what he assumed was a red light. He said he swerved rather than hitting the brakes due to wet road conditions, the report said.
The driver of the Volvo, an 85-year-old Shelton man, told officers he waited at a red light for almost the entire light cycle and entered the intersection when it turned green, when he saw the Land Rover approaching at a high rate of speed. Then he watched as it swerved and crashed in front of him, according to the report.
His passenger, an 83-year-old Shelton woman, told officers she was “100-percent certain” their light was green and recalled seeing vehicles stopped in the south bound lane of Main Street as they pulled onto 25, solidifying her claim, police said.
Police said the accident was not captured on video and no witnesses came forward. Due to the contradicting, yet credible accounts of those involved, officers decided not to take action against either driver.
No injuries were reported inside the veterinary hospital and the town’s building official inspected the building’s structure to ensure it was safe for people to occupy. Firefighters also responded to the incident.
Tequila thieves strike again
An employee of 574 Wines, 574 Monroe Turnpike, reported the theft of a $98 bottle of tequila by a couple matching the description of suspects linked to a rash of liquor store thefts in Fairfield County and throughout the region.
On April 30, police said surveillance video showed a heavy set male and a heavy set female enter the store at 5:50 p.m. The man walked up to the counter and spoke to the employee, while the female, who wore a large brown over-the-shoulder bag, walked to the display of tequila.
Both were Black and wore surgical masks over their face, police said, adding the woman had dreadlocks.
Video reportedly showed the woman pick up a 1.75 liter bottle of Casamigos Blanco valued at $97.83, and place it in her bag, before the couple walked out of the store without paying. Police said the employee became suspicious after hearing glass clinking when the woman was at the display.
The couple drove off in a red Nissan Rouge in an unknown direction, police said, adding the vehicle also matches that of the suspects accused of the rash of thefts in the area.
The Monroe Police Department is investigating the theft.
Explicit photos
A 19-year-old Monroe man told police his phone was hacked and photos were stolen from his Snapchat account, which a blackmailer used to get him to pay a total of $500 to avoid explicit images from being sent to his family, friends and followers, according to a complaint filed Thursday.
While making the threat, police said an unidentified person sent the victim a collage of three pictures, one with his face and profile information, along with explicit photos.
Prior to the hack of his phone, police said the victim received a direct message from someone, who he believed was a female.
The person initially asked for $500, then demanded $1,000.
He sent $350 using his Zelle account and $150 via an Apple gift card, police said. Despite paying the blackmailer, police said the images were still shared with his friends.
When the victim notified his bank as a precaution, in the event of fraudulent charges appearing on his account, the bank told him to file a police report.
He changed the passwords on his email account and Snapchat profile and was advised to check with other financial institutions for any fraudulent activity on his accounts, police said, adding he blocked his Snapchat account.
To avoid this situation, police recommend not taking explicit pictures nor storing them on your phone, and not sharing photos and personal information with anyone, especially those you have never met.
Over 3 times the legal limit
Officers responding to the report of an unconscious driver parked on the side of Moose Hill Road late Tuesday afternoon, found an unconscious man leaned back in the driver’s seat of his 2008 Toyota Matrix with the engine running and the vehicle in park, according to police, who said an open 12-ounce-can of Budweiser beer was in the cupholder and an unopened can was next to it.
Once officers woke him up, the driver, a 45-year-old Bridgeport man, told them he pulled over to check his GPS and did not remember falling asleep, the report said.
Officers detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the man’s breath and observed that his eyes were glossy and his speech was slurred, police said, adding the driver did not perform field sobriety tests to standard, leading to his arrest.
After consenting to breath tests at police headquarters, he showed a blood alcohol level of 0.2557 then, 20 minutes later, a level of 0.2536, police said. The legal limit in Connecticut is 0.08.
The driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. He was released after posting 10 percent of a $500 bond for a May 9 court date.
The incident occurred in the 300-block of Moose Hill Road.
Shed burglary on Hawthorne
A 56-year-old Hawthorne Drive man reported the theft of a $363 backpack leaf blower from a shed on his property Wednesday.
The man told officers someone cut the combination lock to gain entry to the shed during the burglary, before stealing the orange and black ECHO backpack leaf blower. He said weed whackers hanging in the shed appeared to be tampered with, but were not taken.
The burglar took the broken combination lock, according to the report.
The victim told officers he locked the shed around 7 p.m. after doing lawn work the day before.
Surveillance video showed a blue Subaru Forester drive south on Hawthorne Drive Wednesday, stop in front of the house at approximately 3:21 p.m., remaining there for about a minute, before continuing south, police said, adding no one could be seen getting out of or into the vehicle and no license plate was captured on video.
Officers are not sure if the vehicle was involved.
Police detectives processed the shed for evidence and are handling the investigation.
A damaged garage
Police say they believe a large vehicle backed into a two-car-garage in the 500-block of Moose Hill Road, causing $5,000 worth of damage to the support pillar and doors, which were pushed in. Frames for both doors were bent.
The homeowner, an 84-year-old woman, told officers the damage most likely occurred sometime between 7 and 9 a.m. on Monday. She said she receives no deliveries or mail and does not know how the damage occurred, according to the report.
Officers observed faint white horizontal paint transfer marks on the gray garage doors, approximately 18 inches from the ground. A neighbor’s surveillance video only showed the resident leaving her driveway at 7:30 a.m., police said, adding their only evidence is the paint transfer marks at this point.
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