Hamden Fire Department
Scene of Monday’s fire.
A family got out alive, but its dog died, in a fire Monday in Hamden.
The call for the fire at 114 Fallon Dr. came in at 2:52, according to a release from the Hamden Fire Department. Crews arrived to find a “heavily involved structure fire” with “exposure to a nearby home.”
It had spread quickly from an open carport to an attached house.
“Neighbors were able to wake up the sleeping male occupant of the home by banging on doors and windows. Through this quick action the homeowner was able to make it outside to safety. Unfortunately, the family dog was unable to escape and perished in the fire,” the release stated.
Gusting winds spread the fire and challenged firefighters, who got the blaze under control at 3:34 p.m., said Chief Gary P. Merwede. The family is staying with relatives; the home is badly damaged. The nearby house had “significant vinyl siding damage.”
No people were hurt in the fire. Fire Marshal Brian Dolan is investigating the cause.
An App-solute Scam
A 25-year-old Branford man arranged through an online app to sell his PlayStation 4 to someone he agreed to meet by Dixwell Avenue and Morse Street in Hamden.
He showed up around 8 p.m. Saturday to make the transaction. He was greeted by two young men, one of whom took his PlayStation 4 and “walked away laughing” while the other man “pointed a firearm at the victim and threatened to shoot him,” according to a release from Hamden police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith. He asked anyone with information about the incident to call detectives at (203) 230‑4000.
New Haven “Police” Scam
New Haven Police spokesman Capt. Anthony Duff sent out the following release about scam calls people have been receiving from purported cops:
On Monday, February 25, 2019, several people contacted the New Haven Police Department and reported a person calling misrepresenting himself as a New Haven police officer stating he was trying to serve warrants for jury duty. In another instance, the telephone caller claimed to be a New Haven police lieutenant trying to serve a subpoena for a grand jury indictment. Several people complained of receiving additional telephone messages with instructions to meet this past weekend at a police substation. In most instances, the calls and messages stated money would be needed.
The New Haven Police Department is investigating each reported telephone call as a fraud complaint. The department does not solicit money for warrants, subpoenas, or related matters and anyone who has received such a request should contact the police department.
The investigations are ongoing and anyone with information or a complaint is asked to call the New Haven Police Department at 203 – 946-6316.
