Ansonia Police: Man held on charges after alleged abduction

Joshua Lopez

ANSONIA - At about 5:15 p.m. Saturday Ansonia Police received a complaint of an abduction of a female and her sixth-month old daughter on High Street. 

The first officers on scene met the complainant who reported her sister, Galylea Perez, 22, and Galylea’s six-month-old daughter Eliana Perez were forced into a car by Joshua Lopez, 23, the father of Eliana, Lt. Patrick Lynch said in a release Sunday afternoon. 

Lopez was driving a four-door silver Honda Accord with Massachusetts registration 2NCT89. 

The complainant reported Lopez implied he had a gun but no weapon was displayed. 

There was a current domestic violence no-contact court order out of New York City against Lopez involving Galylea. 

The vehicle description as well as photos of the car and the parties involved were sent out to the surrounding towns and throughout the state. 

Lynch said at about 7 p.m. the Shelton Police Department contacted Ansonia Police to report they had Perez in custody. 

Galylea and Eliana were not on scene but had been picked up by another relative; they were both safe and unharmed. There was no weapon found on Perez or in his car at the time of his arrest.

Lopez was charged with Violation of a Protective Order and Breach of Peace Second Degree, he was held on a $100,000 bond to be arraigned Monday at Derby Superior Court.

The investigation into the reported abduction is ongoing.

The Ansonia Police Department strongly urges anyone who may be in a relationship where domestic violence is occurring to contact their local authorities. 

Help is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. 

In the Valley, The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services can be reached by phone at 203-736-9944, 203-789-8104 or 1-888-774-2900 or through the internet at https://bhcare.org/page/22595-The-Umbrella-Center-for-Domestic-Violence-Services- . 

Statewide domestic violence assistance can be found at www.CTSafeConnect.org or call/text (888)774-2900.


This is a press release from Lt. Patrick Lynch.

Learn about NYC history in Seymour Public Library program

 

Ceremony on Derby Green Saturday to mark 20th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks

This is shared from the Derby Fire Department Facebook page:

"As you are aware the City of Derby was able to secure from the Port Authority a small piece of steel from the World Trade Center. The steel was placed atop a monument located on the Derby Green (Elizabeth Street side). 

"Each year members of the Valley Emergency Services host a remembrance service to those who died during the attacks.

"In honor of the 20th anniversary, we will be hosting our annual remembrance service at the Derby Green starting at 1600 hrs on the 11th [4 p.m Saturday].

"In addition to the remembrance service, we will also be posting an honor guard at the memorial starting at 0846hrs. The honor guard will be posted for 413 minutes, this is 1 minute to honor each of the 413 Firefighters, Police Officers, and EMS members killed on 9/11."

Derby Historical Society shares local tie to mayor of NYC

From a Derby Historical Society Facebook post:

New York City Mayor Vincent Impellitteri was the only mayor ever elected in the city on the independent ticket.

He was born in 1900 in Sicily and migrated with his family to America shortly after.

Impellitteri’s family settled in Ansonia, where he eventually enlisted in the Navy during WWI. He became a U.S. citizen in 1922, then graduated with a law degree in 1924.

Impellitteri served as 101st Mayor of New York City from November of 1950 to December of 1953. He is buried at Mount Saint Peter Catholic Cemetery in Derby.

The first image is of Impellitteri in his Naval uniform (he served aboard the USS Stockton and was based in Ireland).

In the second image, he is in a parade car as host to 5-Star General Douglas MacArthur at the 1952 NYC parade celebrating his victorious return to the U.S.

Eight million people reportedly lined the parade route.

Derby Neck Library to host author of book about NYC at Christmas

DERBY - Ever wondered how New York City and Christmas became so intertwined with each other?
Learn all about the history, stories, art, and traditions that forever linked the two when the Derby Neck Library hosts author and photographer Kevin Woyce at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 18.
Woyce will discuss this topic and his book Santa’s Hometown while taking attendees on a sleigh ride through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and the New Year’s Eve ball drop at Times Square.

No registration required for this free event.
The Library is at 307 Hawthorne Ave.

This is shared from the Library's Facebook page.

Counseling center in Shelton slates trip to Christmas Spectacular in New York

Streep brings NYC socialite to life in 'Florence Foster Jenkins'

Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins loved to sing. And sing she did.

But she was undoubtedly the worst singer of her generation. Or dare I say any generation! 

And she certainly was not good enough to sing at Carnegie Hall. But she did. 

Jenkins (1868-1944) was a New York City socialite. Her life of great wealth and love of great music was brought to the silver screen by the one and only Meryl Streep. 

The movie, directed by Stephen Frears, also starred Hugh Grant as her devoted British stage actor husband, St. Clair Bayfield.

Jenkins, a soprano, is tone deaf, but she fancies herself a great opera singer. Her husband perpetuates that myth. He pays people to write positive reviews of his wife’s performance. 

The two have a marriage in name only, since Jenkins was infected with syphilis by her first husband when she was 18. But it’s clear they love each other.

The movie - rated PG-13 - also featured Simon Helberg as the pianist hired to accompany Jenkins’ off-key-to-say-the-least singing. Helberg’s character, Cosme McMoon, a gifted young pianist, politely calls Jenkins’ voice “flat.”

This is a fun film, and one that touches the heart and soul. Streep truly becomes the heiress whose ambition clouds rational thought processes. She really believes that her fingernails on the blackboard style of singing sounds good.

If you want to sit back and laugh go see Florence Foster Jenkins. You’ll definitely be entertained.

St. Mary Church in Derby to host NYC trip

Annual Christmas Spectacular 

DERBY - Celebrate a holiday tradition with St. Mary Church.

Radio City Music Hall

The church is hosting a bus trip Dec. 1 to the 2015 Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes. 

The bus will leave the church parking lot, 212 Elizabeth St., at 8:30 a.m. and leave the city at 6:30 p.m. for the return trip. 

Tickets are $100 and include an orchestra seat to the 2 p.m. show, bus transportation, and driver’s tip. 
There will be time in the city for lunch, shopping, sightseeing, and dinner.

For information contact Melissa Pucci, 203-494-1285.