Unidentified man killed in I-95 crash

By Kerry Wills
Norwalk Advocate Staff Writer

Published October 28 2007

I-95 crash dismembers victim

Norwalk Hour Coverage
Published:  October 28, 2007

A gruesome accident early Saturday morning on Interstate 95 northbound in Norwalk dismembered a truck driver and unsuspecting motorists may have dragged parts of his body as far away as Stratford.

Stranded men set Chimon Island fire

Two shipwrecked men were stranded Thursday afternoon on a Norwalk island and lit a huge bonfire with driftwood to attract help.

Marine Police Sgt. Peter LaPak and Officer Gregg Scully were on their way late Thursday afternoon in two boats to the Norwalk International In-Water Boat Show at Cove Marina when they saw the fire on Chimon Island, dropped off one of their boats and rescued the stranded men.

"You could see a huge orange globe. It looked like the sun setting," Scully said Friday. "It was a huge bonfire and there were two guys standing next to it and waving at us. If we hadn't gone by, they would have been out there all night, because we were the only boats out there. Cold night like that, they would have been hurting."

Scully said the incident should serve as a reminder to boaters to carry cell phones and/or radios, flares and life vests, just in case.

"Be prepared for everything," he said.

The men were out in a 19-feet-long Four Winns motorboat when they hit rocks on the back side of the island, ripped off the bottom of their outdrive and crashed onto the island, Scully said.

He added that they had nothing with which to communicate and lit the signal fire near the water line and away from any trees.

LaPak called the Norwalk Fire Department at 8:53 p.m. to report the fire, which had "become larger than expected, can be seen from the harbor," and firefighters responded in their new boat, said fire department Deputy Chief David Lepus.

That night marked the third time the fire boat had been used on a call, Lepus said.

The fire was "no big deal" to extinguish, he said, adding that firefighters arrived on the island at 9:06 p.m. and returned at 10:33 p.m.

After rescuing the men, marine police returned to Chimon to pick up the damaged boat, which was beached on the island, Scully said.

Noelle Frampton covers police and courts. She may be reached at (203) 354-1006 or nframpton@thehour.com.

At about 4:00 A.M. firefighters from Stations 2 and 5 responded to 158 Flax Hill Rd for a reported structure fire.  Upon a perimeter check of the house, a fire was located in the basement of a 3 story wood frame balloon construction.  Firefighters made an aggressive interior attack and extinguished the main body of fire.  Upper floors were checked for extension using a thermal imaging camera.  Smoldering fires were extinguished and the building was ventilated using positive pressure.  The fire is under investigation.

Police arrest teen in band building fire

Norwalk Hour
August 21, 2007

Police arrested a city teen Monday in connection with the Andrews Field fire last week that destroyed more than $500,000 worth of the Norwalk High Marching Bears' band equipment.

Blaze damages Rowayton home

Norwalk Hour Coverage
Saturday, August 18, 2007

The Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department responded to a 9:33 a.m. Friday house fire at 28 Bryan Road and, with help from the Norwalk Fire Department, confined the blaze to a second-floor bedroom, said Rowayton Chief Edwin Carlson.

The fire appeared to have been "started from an electrical outlet or light," and only damaged part of the room, Carlson said, adding that no one was injured and the family was working with their insurance company on the damage.

Rowayton requested help from the Norwalk Fire Department and they responded.

"We always call on extra help if we need it," Carlson said. "It depends on how serious the fire is. We needed extra help in this particular situation."

Instruments destroyed. 
Blaze at Andrews Field ruins NHS band equipment

Norwalk Hour Report
Friday, August 17, 2007

A Thursday morning fire destroyed an Andrews Field storage building and an estimated $500,000 worth of instruments and equipment the Norwalk High School Marching Bears had stored inside, officials said.

Fire Marshal Glenn Iannoccone said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials are considering arson among other possible reasons behind the blaze, he said.

"Nothing is off the table," Iannoccone said.

The fire was not the first of problems officials have had with the storage building, dubbed "the green house" by band members and staff.

In September 2000, the building's kitchen area and concession stand was gutted by fire and never replaced.

Iannoccone said he did not remember whether that fire was determined to be arson.

Two years ago, someone broke into the shed and threw members' tubas into a swamp, said senior drummer Nate Lavins, 17.

Instrument harnesses stored in the building have been vandalized in the past, band members said, and graffiti, though painted over, is still visible on a building wall.

Band Director Jeff Smith — who said Norwalk High School has earned championship status repeatedly since 1986 — said the band's success and the relative isolation of the Andrews Field building, might make it the target of vandalism and destruction.

Thursday's fire is considered "suspicious," officials said, and firefighters, with the help of canine units, were working to determine the cause of the fire Thursday morning.

Mayor Richard A. Moccia suggested in an interview that the fire was set.

"When you look at what happened with the fire today at Andrews Field, I think there's some indication, without getting into it, that it appeared to be youthful people who did that," he said.

Residents said flames from the building towered into the air, with burning embers flying off and landing on the school's former football field.

A tank of compressed argon gas, used for welding and stored in the building, exploded and shot through the roof, also landing on the field, officials said.

The fire was reported at 2:49 a.m. by Hour carrier Jackie Lainez, who was delivering newspapers in the area of Andrews Field when she smelled smoke and drove toward the scene.

"First I heard a boom and then the fire started to come from windows and the roof," Lainez said. "It was a big explosion."

Her co-worker Lisa Finch was in the area around 2:30 a.m. and said she smelled smoke, but did not report it because she couldn't find the source.

"What kills me is I was probably there when they were lighting it and I had no clue," Finch said.

When firefighters arrived shortly before 3 a.m., a power line had dropped across the roof of the building and onto an adjacent steel storage container, which became energized, preventing firefighters from attacking the fire, officials said.

Power lines were "on fire and sparking" when police arrived, Sgt. Praveen John said.

"It was arcing all over the place," he said, adding that police stood back until precautions could be taken.

The only water they could immediately put on the flames was from an aerial ladder, fire officials said.

Iannoccone said it took about 20 minutes for a crew from Connecticut Light & Power to arrive and cut power to the line.

As Norwalk High School band camp practice continued Thursday, inspectors were still searching the building's charred rubble.

State Police Detective Ken Christensen, who is assigned to the state's Fire Marshal's Office, assisted in the investigation with his dog, Presley. The dog is trained to identify locations that have the scent of accelerates, which arsonists use to rapidly ignite and spread a fire, he said.

After the dog stopped amid the debris, inspectors were seen collecting material and putting it in cans used to transport evidence.

A woman who works for the owner of the County Mall said the building has two surveillance cameras aimed at the rear parking lot. She said recordings of their images from Thursday morning would be made available to the fire inspectors.

Included in the fire's destruction were about 100 music stands, two electric pianos, a vibraphone, ice machines, band props, 50 pairs of pants and 60 pairs of shoes, Smith said.

"The worst part of it is, because of all the construction, when school ended in June we had to clear out the band room, because they were doing renovations in there," said Marching Bears Inc. President Jerry Petrini, adding that the shed was used to store the majority of equipment. "We lost almost everything."

The building also contained brass and plastic sousaphones, which Smith said cost $11,000 and $2,500, respectively.

All of the trophies the band won over the past three years — more than 100 pieces — were also lost, Smith said.

In addition, the building contained a weight apparatus belonging to the school's rugby team.

"It's really surprising," Kristina McLaughlin, 16, a junior member of the color guard, said of the fire. "I was just in there yesterday. You never thought anything like this would happen."

Hour Staff writers Jill Bodach, Noelle Frampton and Patrick R. Linsey contributed to this report.

Fire destroys marching band instruments and equipment

Norwalk Advocate Staff reports
Published August 16 2007

NORWALK -- An early morning fire ripped through a field house at Andrew's Field destroying instruments, uniforms and equipment belonging to the Norwalk High School marching band. The fire was reported at 2:49 a.m. by a newspaper delivery man in the area.

When firefighters arrived, the field house was fully engulfed. Fire and police said the heat from the flames was so intense that a nearby trailer where uniforms are stored was also partially damaged.

By Jonathan Lucas
Assistant City Editor
Norwalk Advocate

Published July 31 2007

Firefighters rush to stop fuel spill

By NOELLE FRAMPTON

Norwalk Hour Staff Writer

NORWALK — The rainbow-colored sheen on a South Norwalk marina water's surface Tuesday signaled bad news: An oily substance was flowing into the harbor through an 8-feet-diameter city outflow pipe.

About 20 to 25 gallons of what appeared to be diesel fuel had crept into Norwalk Harbor by the time firefighters put absorbent booms around the opening in late morning, the state Department of Environmental Protection reported.

The booms stopped most of the fuel, but not all, from seeping out, said Norwalk Fire Department Capt. Edward Prescott.

This isn't the first time a harmful substance escaped through that pipe, located on the property of Total Marine, 160 Water St., which carries storm runoff from the city's storm drains. Stinking sewage, floating garbage, leaves and an abundance of street sand have all flowed into the marina, said John and Tom Caruso, marina co-owners.

The father and son have owned the full-service marina since 1999, and said unwanted debris has been an ongoing problem.

"It's a very poorly-designed system," Tom Caruso said. "There's ... no method of filtering out contaminants. It just comes out that pipe. I've got people with million-dollar boats here, paying a fortune to keep them here. It's a nuisance. What they need is a cleanable catch basin upstream of the pipe."

About a week ago, raw sewage dumped out and reeked so badly that people near the dock abandoned ship, so to speak, the Carusos said, adding that a screening system installed by the city last year wasn't enough.

City Mayor Richard Moccia and Public Works Director Hal Alvord could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

City firefighters tried, with DPW employees and a DEP emergency response team, to track the fuel to its source. Once found, whoever is responsible will be required to act immediately to curb the outflow, said DEP spokesman Dennis Schain.

Schain said the DEP heard about the spill around 10 a.m.

Prescott said firefighters walked all of the storm drains between Water and Merritt streets and narrowed the source's location to the area of Larsen Street and Woodward Avenue.

"We traced it back to that location, going through manholes. They're still trying to pinpoint it. Somehow it got into the storm drain system. Whether accidental or with the heavy rains we had, or a small leak ... it's still under investigation. It could have been anything. You have to be sure before you say anything ... before you go and accuse someone."

Prescott said he's seen both intentional and accidental spills like this in the past.

More fuel could leak out before it's all over.

"It's possible when the tide goes back out, if there's more fuel in the piping, that it could get into the harbor," Schain said at about 4:45 p.m. "So we're working to find the source. It will not cause significant environmental damage ... but it's unfortunate when something like this happens. You hate to see any contaminant get into the environment."

Tuesday's late low tide was at 1:43 p.m., changing to high tide by 7:55 p.m. and falling low again at 2:35 a.m. Wednesday.

Noelle Frampton covers police and courts. She can be reached at (203) 354-1006 or police@thehour.com.

Suspicious fire damages house

By Jonathan Lucas
Assistant City Editor
Norwalk Advocate

Published July 19 2007

NORWALK - Fire gutted a two-family house in central Norwalk hours after police raided its first-floor apartment and arrested three people on drug charges.

The fire, which broke out shortly before 5 p.m. at 4 Aiken St., was characterized as suspicious and was under investigation.

No one was injured in the blaze, but a kitten was killed, firefighters said. An iguana named Blue and two baby snakes were unaccounted for. Five other cats were removed from the apartment by animal control officers after the police raid shortly before noon.

Apartment tenants Zachary Zamfino, 22, and Heather Kruger, 25, were arrested along with Matt Gabrielson, 31, of unknown address. All three are charged with drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of prescription drugs. Kruger and Gabrielson each were held yesterday on $50,000 bond.

Zamfino also faces a criminal mischief charge for allegedly damaging a jail cell at police headquarters, where he was being held yesterday on $52,500 bond.

"This is a nightmare," Patricia Zamfino, 58, said as she watched smoke billow out of the window of her son's room. Zamfino said she was trying to get into the apartment to care for the pets when she left to meet a bail bondsman to free her son.

Zamfino suspected that heat lights for the iguana may have been turned over by the earlier raid and sparked the fire.

Lt. Peter Randall, who led the raid as head of the police department's vice and drug squad, said officers steered clear of the iguana and the snakes. Randall said the apartment was in "utter disarray" when police entered and disputed Patricia Zamfino's claims that officers tore apart the dwelling looking for drugs.

"If we tore the place apart, it would have wound up better than when we arrived," Randall said. "It was one of the messier places we've ever been in."

Fire Department Deputy Chief Kenneth Ehlers said the clutter made it difficult to contain the blaze to a single room.

Despite their efforts, the house was deemed uninhabitable last night, displacing 29-year-old Corrie Todd and her dog.

Ehlers said the earlier arrests at the house raised his suspicions about the fire's cause.

"We have an inspector looking into it, but it seems the origin might be suspicious," Ehlers said. "With the other activity here, it seems too much of a coincidence. We'll definitely give it a good look."

Blaze strikes site of narcotics bust

By HAROLD F. COBIN

Norwalk Hour Correspondent

NORWALK — Three people were arrested Wednesday morning in an Aiken Street house that later caught fire.

The events began in the morning when Detective Eileen Northcott arrived at 4 Aiken St. to investigate a "tip" on a house burglary that occurred elsewhere.

Northcott said she was permitted to enter the house and saw drugs "in plain sight."

Each was charged with failure to keep a prescribed narcotic drug in the container in which it was dispensed, possession of drug paraphernalia, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana, and possession of marijuana.

Each was held in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Lt. Peter Randall, commander of the Special Services Division, said Zamfino also was charged with criminal mischief for allegedly damaging his cell in Norwalk Police lock-up.

Northcott said Zamfino damaged a bed and a telephone.

The damage Zamfino allegedly caused resulted in his being charged with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief, resulting in his being held on an additional $5,000 in bonds.

Kruger also was charged with second-degree burglary and third-degree larceny, and she and Zamfino were charged with conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny.

Northcott said Kruger burglarized a friend's home.

Both Kruger and Zamfino had additional bonds of $5,000 placed against them for these charges.

A tenant who lives on the house's second floor, Corrie Todd, said she smelled smoke Wednesday afternoon and called 911. She then fled the house with her dog, Sasha.

The Fire Department was notified of the fire at 4:46 p.m.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a room on the first floor in front of the house. The furnishings in the room were charred and smoke spread throughout the first floor.

Todd said some smoke entered her apartment, but she believed she could continue to live there. However, the Fire Department had the house's gas and electricity turned off, and Todd was told she would have stay somewhere else at least for one night.

Todd said she believed Kruger was renting the first floor of the house.

A woman at the scene of the fire who said she is Zamfino's mother said he was sub-leasing the room that burned from Kruger.

The woman said 11 cats, two snakes and an iguana lived in the house.

She said she thought the fire was caused by a heat lamp for the snakes or the iguana being tipped over by police while they were searching the house.

Randall said five of the cats were taken away by the city's animal control warden while police were at the house in the morning.

Northcott said she called the warden because the cats appeared to be in poor health. She said she thought seven cats were removed by the warden.

Firefighters found a dead cat in the house. Another cat was captured by bystanders at the scene, and firefighters said several cats were running around in the backyard.

The woman said she believed the snakes and iguana were dead.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Hour Staff Writer

NORWALK — Floodwaters entered the back of Ischoda Yacht Club early Monday morning, short-circuiting a battery pack beneath the back bar and starting a blaze that heavily damaged the banquet room, according to the city's deputy fire marshal.

"I believe it started from the computer battery backup," said Deputy Fire Marshal John McGuirk, referring to the computer beneath the back bar. "Salt water is a catalyst. It caused the battery pack to heat up, and those things can get very, very, very hot. Flooding precipitated the fire. What it did was cause a short circuit, basically."

The Norwalk Fire Department received the alarm for the blaze at the yacht club at 138 Water St. at 1:11 a.m. Monday. At the time, Norwalk and the region were getting socked with a nor'easter that dumped nearly 8 inches of rain. The banquet room is located at the back of the club, facing the harbor, down a set of stairs from the main bar and dining room.

"(Water) will average to the first or second step of the five stairs," said McGuirk, referring to past flooding at the club.

The fire climbed the walls and entered the rafters. Firefighters saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the top of the building when they arrived at the scene. Portions of the burned-out drop ceiling and other charred debris lay on the banquet room floor the morning after.

Members of the yacht club, which was founded in 1886 and has 258 members, vowed Tuesday to rebuild the banquet room and reopen the club.

"As the oldest club on Long Island Sound and Connecticut, we hope to survive this and come back better than ever," said Paul Branter, past commodore of the yacht club.

The damage is not so extensive as to require tearing down the banquet room. Reopening the main bar and dining room will requiring separating the electricity from the damaged area, and complying with Health Department regulations, according to McQuirk.

"Once their insurance adjuster comes in there, the adjuster will give them the go-ahead to start throwing things away," McGuirk said. Then "they have to check on whether they have to throw all that liquor out, whether they have throw that food out."

The banquet room was last used Sunday afternoon. Afterward, before leaving, the bartender cleared furniture from the floor, according to McGuirk.

McGuirk said homeowners and businesses whose properties are subject to flooding also should remove electrical items from their floors.

"If your area is prone to flooding, get any electrical stuff off the floor," McGuirk said. "If you know you're going to flood, or suspect you're going to flood, take the time to disconnect things or move things."