Police Blotter for July 11: Drug Arrests

Shelton motorist arrested on drug charges in Fairfield

A 24-year-old Shelton motorist was arrested on a host of drug charges Saturday afternoon after police pulled over the car he was driving because he wasn't wearing a seat belt, police said.

Michael Capalbo, of Farm Mill Street, who was driving south on South Benson Road about 1:29 p.m., was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, operation of a drug factory and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held in lieu of $5,000 bond and was scheduled to appear July 18 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

Police said officers found in the car 10 individual baggies of marijuana, a large quantity of small plastic bags, a digital scale, a glass pipe that had burnt marijuana residue and a burnt marijuana cigarette.

Police Sgt. Sue Lussier, a department spokesman, said rear-seat passengers in the car were "moving around as if they were hiding something" and Capalbo was "sweating and very nervous" when police pulled the car over. Capalbo gave officers consent to search the car, police said.

Fairfield motorist arrested on drug charges in Fairfield

A 19-year-old Fairfield man was arrested on drug charges early Monday after police pulled over the car he was driving because it crossed the double-yellow lines on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield, police said.

Robert Garfield, of Melville Avenue, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell. He was held in lieu of $200 bond and was scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court July 25, police said.

Officers stopped Garfield's car by the corner of Old Black Rock Turnpike and Sasapequan Road about 12:58 a.m., police said. Police said officers found a plastic bag containing marijuana in the car and another bag of marijuana on Garfield. A passenger in the car had a glass pipe with a small amount of marijuana; she was turned over to her father, police said.

Garfield was also given a verbal warning for failure to drive right, police said.

Bridgeport man charged with violation of probation

A 24-year-old Bridgeport motorist was arrested on a warrant charging him with violation of probation Friday afternoon after he failed to stop at a red light on Kings Highway East in Fairfield, police said.

Leeroy Bember, of Marigold Avenue, was held in lieu of $25,000 bond and was scheduled to appear July 18 in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

When officers approached the car Bember was driving, he cracked the driver's-side window open three inches, police said. An officer asked him to lower the window further, and Bember lowered it another two inches, police said.

"The officer could smell a strong and distinct odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle," said Police Sgt. Sue Lussier, a department spokesman.

Police brought in a K-9 from Westport who was not able to find drugs in the car, police said.

Police determined that Bember had an active warrant out of Bridgeport for violation of probation, police said.

Husband and wife charged with disorderly conduct

A Fairfield husband and wife were each charged with disorderly conduct Friday night after a dispute in their Fortuna Drive home, police said.

John Desmond and Judith Desmond, both 48 years old, were each released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Monday, police said.

Police said Judith pushed John and John pushed her back and that their 18-year-old son intervened in the 10:03 p.m. incident. John had a red mark on his cheek and Judith left the home, police said.

Fairfield man charged in warrant with leaving accident scene

A 25-year-old Fairfield man accused of leaving the scene of an accident on June 18 by North Pine Creek Road and the Post Road in Fairfield was charged Friday with evading responsibility.

Police said James Kosh, of Linwood Avenue, also was arrested Friday in a warrant charging him with possession of narcotics.

Police said Kosh on June 18 struck the back of a car stopped on the Post Road, by North Pine Creek Road, and pushed it into the car ahead of it. He then left the car before officers arrived, police said.

Police searched his car and found identification, police said.

The drug charge stemmed from a call on May 7 in which Kosh claimed he was having a heart attack, police said. Kosh was found underneath a car outside his home and had two bags that contained crack cocaine, police said. Koch also had "track-like marks" and bruises on both arms, police said.

Koch was held in lieu of $1,000 bond on the evading responsibility charge and was held in lieu of $5,000 bond on the drug charge, pending an appearance in Bridgeport Superior Court, police said.

Bridgeport man charged with shoplifting

A 31-year-old Bridgeport man accused of stealing a pair of shorts and a shirt from Kohl's, a department store on Tunxis Hill Road in Fairfield, was arrested on a sixth-degree larcency charge Saturday afternoon.

Jorge Irizarry, of Orland Street, went into a dressing room with the shorts and shirt, valued at a total of $64, and left without them, police said. Police said he was wearing the shorts and shirt when he left the store about 1:53 p.m. and didn't try to pay for them.

He was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court July 19, police said.

GPS stolen from motor vehicle on Riverside Drive

A GPS unit valued at $200 and about $10 cash were reported stolen from a motor vehicle parked in a driveway on Riverside Drive in Fairfield sometime late Friday or early Saturday. The thefts were reported to police at 7:51 a.m. Saturday.

There was no sign of forced entry to the motor vehicle, police said.

Camera case, money stolen from car at Jennings Beach

A camera case valued at $25, about $20 cash and medications were reported stolen from an unlocked car parked at Jennings Beach in Fairfield sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on July 4. The thefts were reported to police at 11:13 a.m. Saturday.

Lawn mower, weed whacker reported stolen from Merritt Street

A self-propelled lawn mower valued at $300, a gas-powered weed whacker valued at $179 and a five-gallon can of gas valued at $15 were reported stolen from a front porch on Merritt Street in Fairfield sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 8:51 p.m. Saturday.

'Grandma Scam' Fails on Papurah Road in Fairfield

An unidentified man unsuccessfully tried to scam an 86-year-old woman on Papurah Road in Fairfield out of $3,500 in the "Grandma Scam" Friday morning.

Police said the woman received a phone call from someone claiming to be her grandson and saying he broke his nose in a car accident in Mexico and needed $3,500. The caller said he couldn't leave the country until he paid the car rental company for the damage, police said.

The senior citizen didn't fall for the scam and told the caller to call back in a half-hour when her husband was home, police said. In the meantime, the woman verified with her daughter that her grandson was not in Mexico and contacted police, police said.

A police officer called the scammer back and activated a trace on the call, police said. The phone number of the scammer, who upped the amount of money he needed to $3,800, was listed on the woman's caller ID, police said.

The case is under investigation, police said.

Resident reports bogus solicitation for K-9 unit

Police said another Fairfield resident received a phone call from someone claiming to be raising money for the department's new K-9 unit.

The caller said he was from the U.S. Police K-9 Association and was raising money to buy a vest for the unit, police said. The call was placed about 7:31 p.m. Friday, police said.

Police said they are not soliciting money for the new K-9 unit.