Hit and run
A 19-year-old Trumbull woman is facing charges after she allegedly knocked a bicyclist to the ground September 12.
According to reports, a motorist called to report a young female on the ground that had apparently been hit by a car. The victim pointed out the vehicle as it drove away, and the caller followed it to a Seeley Road address and watched a young woman get out.
A short time later the driver, Courtney Lupo of Seeley Road, came to police headquarters with her mother and allegedly told police she had seen the victim walking her bike with another pedestrian and that at the last moment the victim had moved slightly into the road. As she drove past she heard the car’s mirror make contact with the victim, and she then drove home because she only had a learner’s permit, which does not allow her to drive alone. The told police she was scared and did not know what to do.
Lupo was charged with evading responsibility and violating a learner’s permit. She was released on a promise to appear in court September 21. The victim said the car’s mirror had struck her left arm. She declined medical attention.
DUI
A Shelton woman is under arrest after police allegedly spotted her driving erratically on Shelton Road early in the morning September 10.
Police said an officer on patrol saw a northbound car swerve across the double yellow line several times at about 2 a.m. Upon making the stop the officer reported smelling alcohol and that the driver, later identified as Justine Sandin, 25, of Shelton, said she had consumed one drink.
Sandin allegedly failed field sobriety tests and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She refused to take a breath test, which carries an automatic license suspension. She was released on a promise to appear in court September 26.
Third offense
Stratford police assisted in arresting a drunk driving suspect September 11.
According to reports, a driver on Huntington Road called Stratford police to report a vehicle being driven erratically. The driver, later identified as Jaime Ann Whittier of Woodcrest Avenue, allegedly passed out and her car came to a stop on the Trumbull side of the road, and Stratford police notified Trumbull officers.
Officers said Whittier had trouble standing and was too unbalanced to conduct field sobriety tests. They also found four boxes of wine and two bottles of vodka in the car.
Whittier refused to take a breath test. Police said she told them she has previous DUI arrests and that she was going to jail anyway.
She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Bond was $5,000 for court September 20.
Assaulted officer
Police were called to a Church Hill Road home September 11 when a woman informed them that a man in the house had taken an excessive number of pills and passed out and she feared he would be violent when he woke.
Officers arrived at the house and when they woke up the man, later identified as Carlos Viera, 19, he became agitated. They explained they were there for his well-being, not to arrest him, but he allegedly grew even angrier when EMS arrived.
The woman who had called police said Viera had threatened to kill her and police said he began brandishing a bamboo tiki torch, punched a refrigerator and then grabbed and bit a police officer on the arm, forcing the other officers to use their stun guns twice to get him to let go, police said.
As he was being handcuffed, police said Viera told them he knew where they lived and that he would kill their families.
Viera was charged with interfering with police, assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct and second-degree threatening. Bond was $10,000 for court September 12.