Police Blotter: Takeout Errand Turns Ugly

The following information was provided by the Darien Police Department:

Tuesday, May 18

BREACH OF THE PEACE Kenneth Riley, 35, of Norwalk was charged with second degree breach of the peace and third degree criminal mischief after a heated confrontation with a pedestrian on Post Road.

The complainant, a 21 year-old Stamford man, told police that he was returning to his car around 5:30 p.m. after purchasing a pie from Planet Pizza (882 Post Road) when he realized he had left his keys on the counter of the restaurant. As he began to cross back over Post Road to retrieve them, he said he was nearly struck by Riley's 2004 Honda Civic, which stopped just short of him.

Riley reportedly got out of the car and began arguing with and yelling at the pedestrian. When the complainant decided to copy down Riley's plate number, he said Riley knocked the pizza onto the ground, pushed him on the chest, and drove away.

By tracing the vehicle's plate number, police were able to locate Riley at his residence and placed him under arrest. He posted $250 bond and is scheduled to appear in court June 1.

Wednesday, May 19

CHECK FRAUD Jennifer Hall, 49, of Bridgeport turned herself into police after being told of a warrant for her arrest stemming from an apparent incident of check fraud. The original complaint against Hall was lodged by the human resources director of Lawyers Group Advertising (28 Thorndal Circle), where Hall had worked from October to December of last year.

According to police, Hall, the accounts payable clerk at the time, wrote a company check for $800 to herself on December 4, forged the signature of a company official, and cashed it on December 11. She reportedly left the office abruptly that day and did not come to work Monday, December 14.

Police arranged to conduct interviews with Hall after the original complaint, but she reportedly failed to appear. When she was notified of the warrant, she came into the station, where she was charged with fifth degree larceny and third degree forgery and released on $800 bond. She is set to appear in court June 1.

Thursday, May 20

MOTOR VEHICLE VANDALISM Police responded to an incident of motor vehicle vandalism around 10:40 p.m. in the parking lot of Backstreet Restaurant (22 Center Street). The complainant, a Stratford resident, said she discovered that the windshield of her 2007 Mini Cooper had been smashed through with a beer bottle when she returned to her car from the restaurant. A Bud Light bottle, still cold, was found sitting on the front seat. Police have no suspects in the case.

Friday, May 21

MARIJUANA POSSESSION Michael Stramandinoli of Stamford—19 years old as of this writing; 18 at the time of the incident—was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana after an officer detected the smell of the drug during a traffic stop.

According to police, an officer saw Stramandinoli's 1990 Acura Integra driving at a slow rate of speed and crossing over the double yellow line on Post Road near Rings End Road. When the officer stopped the vehicle, he detected the smell of marijuana and asked Stramandinoli if he was in possession of the drug. Stramandinoli said he was not, adding that he had last smoked the substance on April 20.

The officer nonetheless carried out a search of the vehicle, turning up a blunt—still smoking—inside of a yellow cigar case. Stramandinoli initially denied the drug belonged to him but later admitted that it did, according to police. He was charged and released on a promise to appear in court June 2.

Saturday, May 22

MOTOR VEHICLE BURGLARY Police responded to a motor vehicle burglary of a 2006 Dodge Caravan around 12:30 p.m. The complainant reportedly went into Goodwives Shopping Center (25 Old Kings Highway North) and returned fifteen minutes later to discover that an Apple iPhone 3GS, valued at $700, was missing from the van's center console. A GPS device and camera in plain view were not taken.

Sunday, May 23

CRACK COCAINE POSSESSION Police reportedly seized more than 40 grams of crack cocaine from a Stamford man during a traffic stop on Ledge Road.

Read the full story here: Police Seize 40 Grams Of Crack On Ledge Road