Southington Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery that occurred at Exxon gas station at 682 Queen St. on Sunday, April 23 between 12:50 a.m. and 1 a.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. John Lopa at (860) 378-1644 or jlopa@southingtonpolice.org .

Police were dispatched to the gas station at 1 a.m. after a black male suspect entered the exxon and attempted a robbery. The suspect ordered gas and cigarettes. When the clerk placed the cigarettes on the counter, the suspect demanded money from the cash register. The clerk refused, and the suspect made a movement with his hand to emphasize that he had a gun (a silver handgun).

At this point, another vehicle pulled into the gas pump area, and the suspect fled. The clerk followed the suspect out of the store.

The suspect got into a white Nissan Altima that was parked in front of the pumps. At the time, there was a black female attempting to put gas into the Nissan. The female got into the passenger side of the Nissan, and the pair fled south on Queen Street.

The male suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’6″ to 5’8″, weighing approximately 170 to 180 lbs.. He is in his late 20s with a full beard, about one inch in length. He was wearing a plain, dark blue, hooded sweatshirt which was covering his head.

The female is described as a black woman, approximately 5’3″ to 5’5″, approximately 100 to 110 lbs. She was described as “petite” and in her early 20s. She was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with light blue jeans, a dark blue or black hat, and she had short, dark colored hair.

A short time later, the Connecticut State Police found the Nissan abandoned in Hartford. Southington detectives responded and took custody of the Nissan. The investigation is ongoing.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Wednesday, April 12 to Tuesday, April 18:

• Edward J. Xiimenez, 44, of 319 Main St., Southington, was arrested on April 12 and charged with evading responsibility and driving under the influence of alcohol or drug.
• Christopher Fiorillo, 36, of 456 Summer St., Southington, was arrested on April 13 and charged with failure to respond.
• Scott S. Laviano, 28, of 25 Lawnsdale St., Kensington, was arrested on April 18 and charged with a cell phone violation and driving under the influence of alcohol or drug.

Pete Medina

Pete Medina, 23, of Bristol, turned himself into Southington police on April 25 after learning there was a warrant for his arrest stemming from a domestic violence investigation.

The investigation began on April 15, 2017 after an incident at the Days Inn at 30 Laning St. in Southington. Medina and the victim were involved in an argument at the hotel that escalated into a physical altercation. After the incident, Medina allegedly took the Victim’s vehicle without her permission.

The victim then contacted the police to report the incident, and Southington officers made contact with Medina. When the vehicle was returned, the victim reported damage to the navigation/center control panel that was estimated at $1,500.

During the course of the investigation, Medina also allegedly violated the terms of an active protective order. There were no injuries reported.

Medina was processed for violating a protective order, disorderly conduct, taking a motor vehicle without permission, and second degree criminal mischief. He was held on a $35,000 bond and presented in court on April 25.

Since this is a domestic violence incident, police are releasing no further details about the victim.

Jacob Perkins.

NOTE: Police have located the missing teen.

Original post:

At 12:55 p.m.,Southington police issued a silver alert for Jacob Perkins. The 18-year-old was reported missing.

Perkins is described as 5’8” and approximately 171 pounds. His last know location was at his home on Blue Hills Drive in Southington. At this time it unknown what Jacob was wearing when he left home, but he is believed to be on foot.

Officers are actively searching for Jacob as he is distraught and in need of medical attention.  Anyone who may see him or have any information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Southington Police Department immediately at (860) 621-0101 or 911.

The Southington Town-wide Effort to Promote Success (STEPS), the Southington Police Department and the Southington High School administration are sponsoring an information night to help families understand current drug trends, prevention efforts, and agencies that help with substance abuse.

Anyone from the community is invited to attend. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9 in the SHS auditorium.

With the current rise in drug use and reported overdoses, local organizations are taking action to prevent these trends and inform the community as much as they can. The program was originally scheduled for March, but frequent snow days caused officials to move the date.

Guest speakers will include SHS Principal Brian Stranieri; Chris Bartolotta from the State Police; Pat Rehmer, Sr. Vice President of Hartford Healthcare; Kevin Naranjo, SHS resource officer, and Kelly Leppard, Prevention Specialist with STEPS.

The presentation is aimed to educate parents and guardians about the connections between alcohol consumption and future substance abuse, how substance abuse begins, social host liability, and myths on specific drugs.

In addition, parent resource tables will be available in the cafeteria immediately after the presentation. Representatives are from MATCH, Rushford, Southington and State Police, Health Department, STEPS, Wheeler Clinic, Connecticut Association of Prevention Professionals, and Southington Youth Services.

For more information contact SHS at (86) 628-3229 ext. 229 or the STEPS office at (860) 276-6285.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Thursday, April 27 to Thursday, May 4:

• Michael H. Savage, 49, of 51 Madera Dr., Waterbury, was arrested on April 27 and charged with sixth degree larceny and conspiracy to commit sixth degree larceny.
• Anthony Orsini, 27, of 74 Masthay Circle, Southington, was arrested on April 28 and charged with first degree failure to appear.
• Joshoel Mullen, 32, of 39 Fox St., Waterbury, was arrested on April 30 and charged with risk of injury, third degree assault, and third degree criminal mischief.
• Gregory James Newcity, 22, of 121 South Washington St., Plainville, was arrested on May 2 and charged with second degree stalking, failure to obey a stop sign, and improper turn signal.
• Chelsea N. Groglio, 26, of 825 Elm St., New Haven, was arrested on May 4 and charged with driving under the influence of liquor or drug and failure to drive in the proper lane.
• Nicole L. Ventresca, 38, of 93 Locust St., Bristol, was arrested on May 4 and charged with second degree failure to appear.

By JEN CARDINES

STAFF WRITER

A group of local volunteers has teamed up with the Southington Police Department and made it their mission to give the dog pound a make-over. Spearheaded by Val DePaolo, the group is inviting the public to join them on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for “beautification” days.

Both days will involve outdoor work at the dog pound on Woodruff Street.

“Volunteers are welcome, and they can come for as short or as long as they would like to stay,” DePaolo said. “They can bring rakes, shovels, work gloves, etc if they have them.”

The dog pound’s interior already got a major facelift in March when volunteers from Team Depot replaced rusting doors, painted the entryway, office and bathroom, and installed a center island desk for a more professional look at the pound.

They also fixed the wall surrounding an air conditioning unit that posed a safety hazard, pulled up old baseboard trim, and even added a large corkboard on the wall to hang pictures of the animals and post event information. DePaolo was there with volunteers to offer help, and her beautification day idea sprung forward.

Now, officials will turn their attention to the grounds surrounding the facility.

Southington animal control officer Josh Karabin, left, and Val DePaolo, right, discuss plans for the local dog pound during an interior project in March. On May 19-20, DePaolo is looking for volunteers to address the grounds around the facility.

DePaolo hopes to draw a sizable crowd for the clean-up, and she said that this would be a good opportunity for people needing to fulfill volunteer or community service hours.

Sergeant Brian Leppard, who oversees the animal control unit, and animal control officers Joshua Karabin and Colin Narducci will be on site during the clean-up.

“We will be able to sign off on any volunteer work, if needed, as long as they provide the necessary documentation,” Leppard said.

There is no age limit for volunteers willing to help with the project, but anyone under 16 will need supervision.

“If there is a group such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, it may be one of their leaders,” said DePaolo.

As part of the project, an outdoor pen will be constructed on the dog pound property, so that the animals can get outside when the weather is nice. The pound currently has no windows, so an outdoor area would allow the officers to bring dogs out into the sunshine.

“Once we get through May, we’re hoping to move forward with an outdoor pen, volunteers to play with the dogs, and coordinating donations and working with adoption groups to get the dogs to a forever home,” said DePaolo.

For those who cannot attend the beautification days but would like to donate some items, DePaolo said that blankets, towels and linens, Milkbone dog biscuits, dog collars, dog leashes, dog toys, and cleaning items such as paper towels, Simple Green dish washing soap, hand sanitizer, scrubbing sponges, and large garbage bags are needed.

Anyone interested in the project can contact Val DePaolo at (860) 877-3233 or Sgt. Leppard through the police department at (860) 378-1600.

To comment on this story or to contact staff writer Jen Cardines, email her at JCardines@SouthingtonObserver.com.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Thursday, April 27 to Thursday, May 4:

• Miguel A. Ocasio, 56, of 134 Pondview Dr., Southington, was arrested on May 5 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and failure to have headlights lit.
• Richard Annulli, 59, of 1299 Meriden Rd., Wolcott, was arrested on May 5 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and failure to grant right of way.
• Keith Pratt, 31, of 11 John St., Southington, was arrested on May 6 and charged with second degree criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and third degree assault.
• Joseph F. Alfano, 39, of 57 Berkley Ave., Southington, was arrested on May 7 and charged with disorderly conduct and second degree threatening.
• Michael R. Badgley, 29, of 2786 Meriden Waterbury Rd., Marion, was arrested on May 7 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and failure to drive right.
• Justin R. McGovern, 18, of 1165 Old Turnpike Rd., Southington, was arrested on May 8 and charged with sixth degree larceny, credit card theft, and credit card fraud.
• Dan D’Agostino, 29, of 315 Peck Ln, Bristol, was arrested on May 12 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
• April Gonzalez, 42, of 220 Garry Dr., New Britain, was arrested on May 12 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
• Andrew J. Zysk, 19, of 76 Homesdale Ave., Southington, was arrested on May 12 and charged with reckless driving and failure to carry a license.
• Thomas J. Criscitiello, 38, of 35 Cortland Way, Southington, was arrested on May 13 and charged with second degree breach of peace.

The Southington Police Department is joining over 10,000 state and local Law enforcement agencies around the country to help save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws around the clock.

The national Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization kicked off on Monday, May 22, and local police will join the campaign aimed at saving lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up, along with distracted drivers and those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Seat belt use has been credited for saving thousands of lives each year, and the Southington Police Department has committed themselves to spreading the word through enforcement and education.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that nearly half (48 percent) of the 22,441 occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unbuckled. In addition, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 40 percent killed during the daytime.

Men continue to outnumber women in not wearing seat belts—52 percent to 42 percent. Pickup truck occupants tend to be the lowest among any other vehicle type in wearing seat belts with 59 percent of unbuckled drivers killed, compared to 54 percent for SUV drivers, 42 percent for passenger car drivers, and 41 percent for van drivers.

This year’s Click it or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 22 through June 4.

For more info, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department has responded to reports in social media about local middle school students sending inappropriate texts.

In a press release, the SPD confirmed that there is an active investigation involving students at both middle schools.

“This is an active and ongoing investigation involving juveniles,” police said in the release, “and there will be no further comment or information released at this time.”

The investigation involves minors, so police will only release further information if they are able as it becomes available.

On Saturday, May 20, D’Amato Construction and the Southington Water Department will be doing work on Knotter Drive, between Meriden Waterbury Road in Southington and West Johnson Avenue in Cheshire.  This portion of the road will be closed to thru-traffic. Barricades will be put in place at 7 a.m., and work is expected to be completed by 3:30 p.m.

Traffic from Southington will be detoured from Meriden Waterbury Road (Rt. 322) to Clark Street to travel into Cheshire (West Johnson Ave). Traffic from Cheshire will be detoured from West Johnson Ave to Clark Street to Meriden Waterbury Road.

During the road closure, access to Burger King and Comfort Suites will be granted, and officers working the detail will allow vehicles to enter Knotter Drive from Meriden Waterbury Road to access these businesses.

There will be one SPD officer with a cruiser posted at Knotter Drive at Meriden Waterbury Road with barricades and signs to assist motorists around the detour. There will be a second officer posted on Knotter Drive with barricades keeping any traffic from entering the construction zone.

The Cheshire Police Department will be assisting motorists on the Cheshire end of the detour.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

A Meriden was seriously injured in a one-car accident at the corner of Savage Street and Meriden Avenue. The Southington Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding the accident to contact Officer Vose at (860) 621-0101 or mvose@southingtonpolice.org.

The accident happened just after 2 a.m. on Sunday, May 21. The preliminary investigation revealed that Vanessa Volpe, 30, of Meriden, was operating her 2016 Acura TLX east on Savage Street when she left the roadway in the intersection. The vehicle entered the front yard of 1307 Meriden Avenue and rolled over.

Volpe was partially ejected from the vehicle and became trapped underneath. Responding officers and others were able to lift the vehicle to free her, but she and free suffered serious injuries. Volpe was transported to Hartford Hospital via Life Star.

Xavier Crofton

Police arrested Xavier Crofton, 25, of Meriden after a domestic violence incident at Motel 6 on Queen Street on Tuesday, May 16.

Police report that Crofton was involved in an argument with a female inside the motel room. The victim was sitting on the bed eating when Crofton allegedly charged her, pushing her back onto the bed before punching her in the nose. The victim suffered a bloody nose and was treated on scene by ambulance personnel. She refused transport to a medical facility.

Crofton was charged with third degree assault and second degree breach of peace. He was released on a $2,500 bond and given a May 17 court date in Bristol. Crofton was then turned over to the Connecticut State Police for an active arrest warrant on an unrelated charge.

This is a Domestic Violence incident and no further information on the victim will be released by police.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 21:

• Austin Garuti, 19, of 1098 Savage St., Southington, was arrested on May 12 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
• Xavier Crofton, 25, of 410 Queen St., Southington, was arrested on May 16 and charged with second degree breach of peace and third degree assault.
• Corey C. Keyworth, 30, of 203 Glen St., New Britain, was arrested on May 16 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
• John E. Perullo, 42, of 216 Park Rd., Oxford, was arrested on May 17 and charged with sixth degree larceny.
• Raimond Kaja, 50, of 53 Wheeler Village Rd., Southington, was arrested on May 19 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and failure to carry a license.
• Morgan Slade, 22, of 1262 Meriden Ave., Southington, was arrested on May 20 and charged with second degree breach of peace, third degree assault, and first degree reckless endangerment.
• Logan Larosa, 19, of 890 Woodruff St., Southington, was arrested on May 21 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and improper passing.
• Selena Bouchard, 44, of 13 Darling St., Southington, was arrested on May 21 and charged with two incidents of second degree failure to appear; two incidents of first degree failure to appear, and two counts of violating a protective order.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced that they have referred 14 suspects from a recent middle school investigation to the juvenile review board, a community-based diversion program. The referrals were a result of an investigation into reports that middle school students were sending inappropriate texts.

Police said in a press release that there were no charges associated with the referrals. The incidents were deemed to be a “delinquent act”. The names of the juveniles will not be released due to their ages.

The investigation started on May 12 after an anonymous adult reported to DePaolo Middle school administrators that there were naked photos on a juvenile’s phone. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that students from both DePaolo Middle School and Kennedy Middle School began sharing inappropriate text messages and photographs with each other via social media.

With the referrals, police have officially closed the investigation effective today.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 21:

• Jorge Burgos Morales, 57, of 42 Pine St., Waterbury, was arrested on May 23 and charged with third degree burglary and sixth degree larceny.
• John Guy Markham, 21, of 71 County Rd., Southington, was arrested on May 24 and charged with possession of less than one half ounce of marijuana and failure to display number plates/inserts.
• John Daniel Dehuff, 64, of 491 Darling St, Apt 207, Southington, was arrested on May 24 and charged with second degree breach of peace and second degree threatening.
• Varina C. Rhodes, 26, of 570 Circular Ave., Hamden, was arrested on May 25 and charged with traveling unreasonably fast, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to insure a motor vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia with less than one half ounce of marijuana.

Officer Mark Dibattista of the Southington Police Department was named as the 2017 Police officer of the year by American Legion Kiltonic Post 72 in Southington.

On Monday, May 29, American Legion Kiltonic Post 72 named Southington Police Officer Mark Dibattista as their police officer of the year. Legion officials presented Dibattista with his award during the ceremony held at the conclusion of the Memorial Day parade.

Dibattista started his law enforcement career with the Hartford Police Department in 2003, but he took a position within the Southington Police Department in 2006. Ina press release, Legion officials said that he has served the department and the community “in an exemplary fashion.”

Dibattista is a department field training officer tasked with training and developing new recruits in the tasks and responsibilities required to effectively perform the duties of a Southington police officer.

He is the departmental lead in the newly implemented L.E.A.P.S program, a community outreach program designed to provide resources, information and education to individuals battling heroin addiction and their families.

Dibattista saw the need to assist citizens that he came in contact with on patrol, who lacked adequate food and clothing or who were having housing issues. In an effort to assist these folks in need, Dibattista collaborated with local community groups, such as Bread for Life, STEPS and the Main Street Community foundation, to start a program where our officers have access to emergency kits. The kits contain food items, emergency blankets, and contact information for service organizations in town to further assist them in the long term.

“Officer Dibattista’ s commitment and dedication to serving the public was the primary reason he was selected as the American Legion officer of the year,” officials said in the release.

Jeffrey Ampofo

Police arrested a West Haven man for stealing a laptop from Wal-Mart on Queen Street. Jeffrey Ampofo, 24, turned himself into the Southington Police Department on Wednesday, May 31, at approximately 3:30 p.m., after being notified about an open warrant.

Police began their investigation after receiving notification that an office administrator for a Southington-based business was notified via email that an online order was ready for pick-up at the Southington Wal-Mart, but no employee at the business reported making any purchase.

The office worker checked further and found that Ampofo’s name was listed as a secondary/ alternative name on the sales order. Ampofo is not an employee of the business, so the transaction was reported as fraudulent. Further investigation revealed that Ampofo allegedly picked up the online order at the Southington Wal-Mart on April 28, 2017, and he showed his driver’s license at the time to pick up the order.

The item was an HP laptop computer valued at $850.78.

Ampofo was charged with fifth degree larceny, credit card theft, illegal use of a credit card, and receiving goods or services obtained by the illegal use of a credit card. He was released on a $5,000 bond with a court date of June 13, 2017 in Bristol.

George Miller

Southington police arrested a man when his vehicle struck a retaining wall when he was attempting to flee the scene of a crime. George Miller, 53, of Southington was arrested when he was making a getaway after stealing a car battery.

Police responded to a call from a residence on Eden Avenue on Tuesday, May 30, at approximately 12:50 p.m. The witness/victim reported she was inside her house when she heard her dog bark. She looked out the window and saw Miller getting out of his vehicle. She watched him take a car battery that she had in her driveway, and he put it in his vehicle. The witness said that Miller saw her in the window, so he took the car battery out of his car and put it on a tree stump next to her driveway.

As he attempted to back his vehicle out of her driveway, Miller’s vehicle hit the wall and the right front and rear tires got stuck. Miller then exited his vehicle and began banging on the witness’ front door. She became scared and called the police.

The wall sustained damage, however no estimate was provided at this time.

Miller was arrested and charged with sixth degree larceny, second degree breach of peace, third degree criminal trespassing, and third degree criminal mischief. He was released on a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear at the Bristol Superior Court on June 13, 2017.

The Southington Police Department
69 Lazy Ln, Southington, CT 06489
(860) 378-1600

The Southington Police Department announced the following arrests and citations from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 21:

• Hailey Reed, 22, of 188 S. Montowese St., Branford, was charged on May 25 with passing a standing school bus.
• Samuel James Manzo, 57, of 53 Smoron Ct., Southington, was arrested on May 25 and charged with eight incidents of failure to respond to a violation.
• Gustaf Marks-Hamilton, 36, of 45 Park Place, Apt 205, New Britain, was arrested on May 26 and charged with first degree criminal trespassing, second degree breach of peace, and second degree stalking.
• David Chesanek, 30, of 27 South Plains Rd, Southington, was charged on May 15 with evading responsibility, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and failure to insure a motor vehicle.
• Dean Freer, 24, of 298 Deerbrooke Circle, Southington, was arrested on May 28 and charged with breach of peace.
• Gary Lee Barber, 55, of 28 Park Place, New Britain, was arrested on May 28 and charged with possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, public indecency, and operating a motor vehicle under suspension.
• Wade Lee Mitchell, 63, of 40 Hughes St., Plainville, was arrested on May 29 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
• Alvaro Angel Lopez-Mejia, 21, of 60 Green St., West Hartford, was arrested on May 29 and charged with second degree breach of peace.
• Matthew Hunter, 39, of 6 Kane St., Southington, was arrested on May 25 and charged with two incidents of second degree failure to appear.
• Ryan M McDonald, 38, of 222 Mount Vernon Rd., Southington, was arrested on May 25 and charged with disorderly conduct.
• Michelle A. Ladd, 30, of 1460 Meriden Waterbury Rd., Plantsville, was arrested on May 30 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drug and failure to drive right.
• Tiffany Ayala, 29, of 59 Minthal Dr., Southington, was charged on May 30 with passing a standing school bus.
• Alex Gumprecht, 18, of 8 Hamilton Ave., Southington, was arrested on May 24 and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• George Miller, 53, of 73 Field St., Bristol, was arrested on May 30 and charged with third degree criminal trespassing, third degree criminal mischief, sixth degree larceny, and second degree breach of peace.
• Jeffrey Ampofo, 24, of 180 Homestead Ave., West Haven, was arrested on May 31 and charged with fifth degree larceny, credit card theft, receipt of goods with illegal use of a credit card, less than $500 on a revoked credit card.
• Daniel L. McLellan Jr., 49, of 24 High St., Southington, was arrested on June 1 and charged with failure to register address.
• John DeHuff, 64, of 491 Darling St., Southington, was arrested on June 2 and charged with disorderly conduct.