Police Blotter: Man Found Sleeping, Smoking Charged With DWI

The following information was provided by Capt. Fred Komm of the Darien Police Department:

Wednesday, March 17

LARCENY: Police say a $1,500 watch was stolen from the YMCA. A Darien woman reported the incident on Wednesday. She told police she had placed the Logines DolceVita watch in a caddy for safe keeping while she showered. The watch must have dropped to the floor on her way to the locker room, she said. Not three minutes had passed since leaving the gym that she realized the watch was missing. She returned to the locker room to find it, but to no avail. The watch—described as diamond studded, with a pearl face and a stainless steel band—had been nicked, police say.

Thursday, March 18

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION: A Norwalk man who tried to dodge the law was arrested Wednesday morning. Police say 23-year-old John Vann was traveling east on the Post Road at about 1:14 a.m. when he was stopped near West Norwalk Road for driving without lights. With no license or form of identification, Vann gave police a bogus name—Terell Bookhart—and a false date of birth. Police ran the name and found no record of a license. They then searched Vann's car and found a credit card. The name: John Vann. And in Vann's wallet: John Vann's social security card.

"He said he was holding it for his brother who was in jail, " said Capt. Komm.

With new details, police ran "John Vann" through the system and found a license record and a photo. The man pictured looked strikingly similar to "Bookhart," police said.

Confronted by police, Vann admitted he had lied; Terell Boohart is in fact his cousin's name.

Vann posted $180 bond and was released to Norwalk police who had an arrest warrant for failure to appear. He has a court date of March 29, where he faces charges of criminal impersonation, interfering with an officer, driving without a license and failure to have headlamps.

Saturday, March 20

DWI: Walter Alfaro, 47 of Stamford, was charged with DWI Saturday evening after crashing his 2006 Mitsubishi into a tree on West Ave. Police say Alfaro was rounding a curve near Holmes Ave. while traveling west on West Ave. when he struck a curb. The impact caused his car to turn sideways and continue traveling until eventually coming to rest against a tree and a rock. At about 10:30 p.m. police arrived at the scene.

"So we get there, and he's standing next to the vehicle uninjured. He's lucky," said Capt. Komm.

Alfaro told police he was sorry and that he had been drinking a little bit. He failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DWI and improper turn. Alfaro posted $250 bond and has a court date of April 1.

DWI: Police say driving too slow can be as dangerous as driving too fast. So it wasn't long before Fred Delbianco of Shelton was stopped on the Post Road for traveling at 25 mph and crossing the centerline. Police say Delbianco had glassy, bloodshot eyes. He was arrested for DWI and failure to drive right after failing his field sobriety test. Delbianco posted $250 bond and has a court date of March 30.

*Lead Story DWI: Michael Adamico, 57, had admittedly been drinking "more than a little," when police found him slumped over the steering wheel asleep, lit cigarette in hand. It was just before 11:30 a.m. when a Darien woman, walking down Heights Road towards Noroton Ave., noticed a male driver, slumped over the steering wheel while stopped at the red light. The car started to inch forward. Adamico was still asleep. The woman screamed at Adamico to wake him. Startled, Adamico awoke, and the woman told him to park the vehicle.

"Could you park it for me?" Adamico asked.

The woman complied. She told Adamico to get out of the car and parked the 1993 Plymoth Voyager in the parking lot at 40 Heights Road (Citibank). She watched Adamico stagger back to his car, cigarette still in hand, and fall asleep. That's when she called the police.

"We asked him, 'Sir, have you been drinking?'" said Capt. Komm. "He said 'More than a little."

Adamico posted $250 bond and has a court date of March 30.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Police say a Darien tenant ticked off his landlord one too many times. James Pirro, 84, lives at a two-family home on Holmes Ave. Police say he had a disagreement with his landlord's grandmother over cable. And when the landlord told Pirro not to come in to her part of the house, he did. Police say the report was one of several they'd received in the past few weeks. Pirro was placed under arrest. He posted $100 bond and has a court date of March 30.

CHECKPOINT DWIS: Police issued a total of six DWIs Saturday night at a DWI enforcement checkpoint coordinated by the Darien Police Department in collaboration with the Stamford Police Department. Capt. Komm said Darien's department processed three of the six citations, along with numerous lesser offenses. The checkpoint orignially scheduled for 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. ended earlier than planned.

"They ran out of officers. For transporting and reporting, they had to leave," said Capt. Komm

• DWI: Larry Shelley, 47 of Stamford, heading home from a Stamford nightclub, told checkpoint police he had consumed approximately eight drinks. He failed his field sobriety test, posted $250 and has a court date of March 30.

• DWI: Oliver Brangman, 49 of Bridgeport, told police he had consumed "a couple of drinks at a friend's house," when he was stopped at the checkpoint. He failed his field sobriety test and was released on promise to appear. He has a court date of March 30.

• DWI: Shelley Fisher, 37 of Stamford, told police she had three drinks at Stamford's Tigen when she was stopped at the checkpoint. Fisher failed her field sobriety test, posted $25 bond and has a court date of March 30.

Sunday, March 21

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA: A 22-year-old Darien man was arrested for possession of marijuana Sunday evening. Police saw George Sullivan of Brookside Road walking down Birch Road at 9 p.m. with a backpack and a laptop in tow. Police stopped to check Sullivan was okay. He was very nervous, police say. Sullivan told the officer he was on his way to the train station but took off in the opposite direction. Police approached Sullivan for a second time, questioned him, and found a baggie of about 2.5 grams in his backpack. When asked if he had any other drugs on hand, Sullivan turned over a second 2.5 gram baggie from his front pocket. He was placed under arrest and released to his parents on promise to appear. Sullivan has a court date of March 31.