Two Detained After Shots Fired in South Norwalk, But No Arrests [Update]

Gunshots fired Saturday night at the intersection of North Main and Washington streets resulted in two youths being detained for questioning, but no arrests.

A patrol officer reported shots fired at that intersection at 9:51 p.m. and immediately spotted someone waving a handgun while another person fled the scene. The officer reported the person with the gun and another person ran into an alley that connects North Main Street with the Webster Street parking lot.

Numerous officers responded to the area and set up a perimeter around the lot.

A bystander in the lot told police a person who came out of the alley threw a gun beneath a car, which police recovered. At a news briefing Monday morning, Sgt. James Belmont said the gun was a Ruger .22-cal. long barrel revolver.

Two 16-year-old Norwalk youths were detained in the lot, one of whom was found hiding behind a Dumpster, Belmont said. After questioning the pair, the officers decided they did not have enough evidence to make an arrest.

Asked about the incident at a Police Commission meeting Monday afternoon, Mayor Richard A. Moccia said that unfortunately gun crimes occur here as they do in the city's neighboring communities.

Moccia said he endorses New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign to restrict gun sales, noting, "You need a background check to get a hairstylist's license."

You shouldn't be able to buy 40 or 50  guns at a time, as you can in some southern states, Moccia said. And it shouldn't be possible to buy a gun at a gun show without a background check.

Moccia said Police Chief Harry W. Rilling would be announcing initiatives over the next several days in response to the latest incident of gunfire.

Car Break-In Yields GPS Unit

The passenger side window of a 1998 Chrysler Sebring was busted
out Saturday afternoon while it was parked in front of Best Buy, 330
Connecticut Ave.

The owner said two Garmin GPS units he had just purchased were
stolen. He said he had placed them on the floor in front of the passenger seat.

He said when he was walking back to his car, a group of youths
were staring at him. When an officer arrived and approached one of the youths, he fled. The officer was unable to catch him.

Three Cars Vandalized, One With Racial Epithet

Owners of three cars called police Saturday morning to report vandalism, including one where an racial epithet was scratched into the paint.

At 8:56 a.m., the owner of a 2009 Honda CRV at 8 Emerson St.
reported her car was scratched, including having a vulgar term for a female written on the left side of the car. The vehicle was parked in front of her home. The complainant could not identify any suspects.

At 10:16 a.m., the owner of a 2002 Hyundai station wagon at 26
Emerson St. reported scratch marks along the entire left side of the vehicle. There were no suspects.

At 11:02 a.m. the owner of a 2009 Nissan parked in front of 6 Villaway Rd. reported the car was scratched, with a racial epithet and an obscenity carved into the rear hatch door. The owner provided information about a possible suspect, and the investigation was taken over by the Detective Bureau.