Man Accused of Walgreens Parking Lot Assault

A Stamford man was charged with third degree assault and breach of the peace Thursday after an outburst in the parking lot of the Noroton Heights Walgreens.

Around 4:44 p.m., police arrived at the store (148 Heights Road) to find a 46-year-old Stamford woman with cuts on her arms. The officers soon ascertained that a fight had occurred as a result of a fender bender.

According to police, Richard Nanos, 62, and the daughter of the injured woman, 23, had both been backing up their vehicles in the lot when her 2007 Toyota struck his 2005 Honda.

Though the collision was described as minor, Nanos reportedly exited the vehicle "hurriedly" and ran toward the daughter, where the two engaged in a heated argument about her proof of insurance.

Soon after, Nanos went to the passenger side of the vehicle, where police said he dragged the woman's mother out onto the pavement and struck her, inflicting the cuts on her arm. Nanos also scraped his knuckles in the process.

An official said that the woman did not speak English, apparently contributing to Nanos's outburst.

Nanos was arrested and released on a promise to appear, police said, due in part to his claim that he was a diabetic. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday, August 2.

Assault in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor in Connecticut, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.