LOCAL VIGIL FOR CHARLOTTESVILLE
A candlelight vigil for the Charlottesville, Virginia victims was held last night at McCook Point Park in Niantic to provide an opportunity for people to come together in the spirit of love and peace, and to show support for the victims of the hatred that was displayed last weekend. East Lyme First Selectman Mark Nickerson said he had a warm feeling about the strong turnout of residents in his community but not a good feeling about what happened last weekend. Donations were collected at the vigil for The Justice Aid Legal Center, a legal team based out of Virginia, with one of its main offices in Charlottesville. The center represents individuals and groups in need, as well as launches its own litigation against laws it deems unjust. A similar vigil also took place night in Groton.
WOMAN DRAGGED IN NL
A Stonington woman was dragged and suffered minor injuries when her truck was stolen as she was loading a table into her Ford F350 yesterday afternoon. The unidentified woman was at Homegoods in New London when a man climbed into the driver’s seat and drove off while she was putting the furniture into the truck bed. According to New London police she was taken to L&M with non life threatening injuries. The truck was recovered in Westchester County NY last night. The stolen vehicle was being driven by 28 year old Christian Guzman. Charges are pending.
NO EARLY RELEASE
Two of the six young men convicted for their involvement in the murder of Matthew Chew in New London in 2010 were denied early release yesterday by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Brian Rabell and Marquis Singleton will remain incarcerated for the remainder of their 8 year sentences for first degree manslaughter. They were allowed to plead guilty to that lesser charge for cooperating with the prosecution. Matthew Chew’s family and friends attended the hearing in Waterbury, his parents telling the board why they felt the men should serve the full sentences.
ROBBERY ARREST
Norwich police report an arrest in a 2016 robbery that occurred in the city’s business park. 44-year old Eric Melendez of Griswold turned himself in to police Wednesday. The convicted felon is accused of breaking into several vehicles belonging to Prime Electric and Lantern Energy last June, and stealing items inside them. Police say an arrest warrant for Melendez was based on a DNA sample taken from an iced tea bottle found at the crime scene. Melendez is being held on 10-thousand dollars bond. Police are scheduled to serve an arrest warrant for a second suspect, 43-year old Walter Spraski, who’s currently serving time at the Corrigan-Radgowski Prison in Montville on unrelated charges.
DEAD SEA TURTLE
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) – An official says a dead sea turtle that washed ashore at a Rhode Island beach will remain in place until permission is granted to move it. The large leatherback sea turtle was found on a crowded East Matunuck State Beach in South Kingstown on Wednesday morning. An official with Mystic Aquarium says the turtle was tagged by a monitoring organization, but it’s not clear which one. That organization will have to grant permission to move it. The aquarium had planned to do a necropsy, but says the turtle has decomposed too much already.
