Top 5 Stories of 2017 in CT.

Josefa Herrera
BMHS Pridetime Reporter.

By any measure, 2017 was a remarkable year in the state of Connecticut. During the year there were different types of crimes and actions, here are some news that had a big impact in the state:

5 Miriam Martinez-Lemus, a Stamford mother after two days her stay  deportation was denied in November 20th, was notified that she received a stay of deportation order, the Office of the Governor claimed.

Martinez avoided immediate orders of returning to her native country, Guatemala.
“Today, reason and compassion prevailed and I applaud this decision by ICE to allow her to remain in the United States with her family, where she has lived for several decades.’’ Said Governor Dannel Malloy in a statement on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement decision.
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Governor Malloy was impressed by ICE decision of letting the mother remain in the country while he also added: “I am glad that we could work with federal and local officials and advocates to achieve this outcome.Rather than focusing on people living peacefully within our borders, our attention should be on those who do harm to others. I want to acknowledge those at ICE who listened to our pleas for compassion who understand that families should not be torn apart, vulnerable children who are U.S. citizens should not be put at risk, and that law abiding, hardworking and decent people should receive the benefit of the doubt in matters like these.”  

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Stamford Police Dept. cars

4 On December 1st, Gennaro Siviglia, 72, Longtime Stamford man got impacted by a vehicle while he was crossing the street, he suffered serious head injuries caused from the impact.

​Due those injuries, Gennaro passed away late on Tuesday 2nd, The driver of the car that hit Siviglia, stayed at the scene and cooperated at all times. This was the sixth fatality from vehicle crashes in 2017.
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Mugshot of accused Victor Pergee

3 On the night of December 27th, Victor Pergee, 34, was put behind bars. Police reported accused of hitting his pregnant girlfriend. The also police reported Pergee was having a verbal fight with the “live-in caregiver” staying at his girlfriends home on Smith Drive, Hamden, CT.
The victim reported that he had beaten her a number of times; knocking her to the floor and ripping her hair out. Officers said he continued to beat and choke her on and for approximately an hour.  After Police responded to a residency call to 911 at about 9:30 a.m. on In December 28th. She suffered injuries in arm and stomach and  was  immediately taken to Yale-New Haven hospital for the proper treatment. According to Capt. Ronald Smith, Pergee is facing first-degree assault charges, among other charges, and is being held on $100,000.

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Guilty of 3 sexual assult, Monte Phillip White.

2 On October 29, 2017, The police were called to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, CT to meet with a woman who said she had been raped in her apartment located on Hawthorne Drive. The victim confirmed Monte Phillip White, 34, threatened to shoot her and he sexually assaulted  her while her roommate was sleeping in a different room of the apartment. The victim  told the police she was sleeping when the suspect crawled into her bed and woke her up.

“The victim reported that the suspect entered her home and threatened her with a firearm and sexually assaulted her,” said New London Police Chief Peter Reichard.

On November 29th, exactly a month later, another woman went to the hospital with the same statement, the same things happened to her in her Nautilus Drive Apartment. The victim said that she woke up and saw a man standing in her bedroom, pointing a gun at her and he proceeded to get in her bed. She said that White started to tell her he had seen her around and asked her personal questions. She sexually assaulted twice during the attack.
The victim’s 1 year old child was in the home at the time of the assault and before White ran away from the apartment of the second victim, he told her that "next time he saw her, she would know because he would give her a ‘long hard look,’

The Police department of New London identified White through physical and DNA evidence. “This type of predator is a dangerous person in the community and the men you see standing right here their goal is to remove people like this from the streets and make the streets safe for everybody,” said Chief Reichard. White told police he broke into the apartment complex where the second assault occurred “looking for a man that owed his friend money.” He changed his story and claimed he had sex with the victim for money after seeing an ad she posted online.

The now guilty suspect told the victims he used to sell cocaine and more things about himself.  White was charged with 3 counts sexual assault first degree, and 1 count of risk of injury to a minor and a held on a $750,000 bond for the New London charges.

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Stamford Fire Dept. arriving to the scene, source: www.stamfordadvocate.com

1 On November 22nd, 2017. Kadeem Mitchell, from Stamford, was speeding on Washington Boulevard when he lost control of his 2006 BMW car. Mitchell and the passenger, Dante Smith, 19, were removed from the vehicle with the help of Stamford fire and rescue officers, using hydraulic tools and then transported to Stamford hospital. Donte Smith died from injuries causes when they crashed into a tree.
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Following the release of Mitchell from the hospital, and almost a month of investigation of the case, Stamford police took him into custody and was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Kadeem Mitchell was processed and released after paying a $5,000 bond and surrendering his passport. He was due in court on December 29, 2017.
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