Tonight on Connecticut's news station,
caught on camera,
a burglary turns into a police pursuit.
The video you're seeing first on Fox 61.
Rinse and repeat.
Another mostly cloudy,
cooler day with a few showers.
We'll talk about when we break
out of this weather pattern,
and will we do it in time
for the weekend coming up,
Plus Budget Brawl at the
Capitol we are trying to bring.
Both the Democrats and the governor
to the table with this tax package.
House
Republicans lay out their proposal
with just weeks left in session
and bold bears. They seem to understand
when it's trash day around here.
So they come on those particular days,
a rise in breakins creating concerns for
residents plus staying safe on the water.
The Coast Guard getting prepared for
boating season breaking news now on Fox 61,
Connecticut's news station.
Tonight we begin following breaking
news out of Manchester Police searching
for a suspect who they say is armed.
Good evening, Thanks for joining us
on the news at six. I'm Ben Goldman.
And I'm Jen Bernstein.
Police providing an update in
the search for that suspect.
Fox 61's Gabby Molina joins us
live from Manchester in the area
where that search began. Gabby.
Ben and Jen I was just speaking
to a neighbor here who got a call
from Manchester Police's automated
system letting them know that they
no longer believe the suspect is in
the area and that residents are no
longer being asked to stay indoors.
Now all of this stems from a home
invasion that happened earlier today.
Police were focusing their attention
on this home behind me at the Oak
Grove condo complex a little bit
earlier and they are still looking
for their suspect at this point.
Police were did release a picture of
the suspect. They say it's 46 year old.
Rai Shashek Police say he stole a
car out of New Jersey this morning
and drove to Connecticut.
He is still believed to be driving that car.
It's a silver 2011 Acura TL with New
Jersey plates and police say there is
damage to the driver side of the Acura.
As for Shashik,
he was last seen wearing blue
jeans and a white sweatshirt.
Police say they responded to the home
invasion just after 2:00 o'clock.
This afternoon.
The owner of the home showed
up and saw the suspect inside.
Police say the suspect chased after her,
but she was able to hide in
a neighbor's house.
Now police say that the suspect
is considered armed and dangerous.
They are warning people that he
has a handgun and knives so no
one should approach him.
But if you think you see that
Acura that we described,
if you know anything about
where the suspect might be,
you are asked to call Manchester
Police live in.
In Manchester, Gabby Molina,
Fox 61, Connecticut's news station.
All right, Gabby, thank you.
Well, state budget negotiations
continuing tonight and now Republicans
are throwing their hat in the ring.
House GOP lawmakers releasing their
own budget proposal this morning.
FOX 60 One's political reporter Emma
Wolfe Force joining us in studio.
So Emma, what's different about
the Republicans plan? Well,
Ben, Jen, there's actually not that much.
The two year nearly $52
billion proposal includes.
Includes the historic tax cuts
introduced by Governor Ned Lamont
earlier this year in his budget
and prioritizes education funding,
an important point for all
sides working on this deal.
Now House Republicans hoping
their plan will help accelerate
budget talks in these final
weeks of the legislative session.
We all know that when
Republicans are in the room.
And part of the conversation?
Good things happen
Tuesday, House Republicans releasing
their first budget proposal since 2017.
We recognize the fact
that we need a reset in this building,
and we want to see better.
More thoughtful tax relief. The
$51.9 billion two year budget adopts
income tax cuts proposed by the governor,
increases money for education and provides
a 2.5% funding boost for nonprofits.
It also creates a $2000 per child
tax deduction and calls to eliminate
the sales tax on children's clothing
for Connecticut. To continue to be
successful and to grow even more,
we have put these things in place
to help us. To guide us to do that,
Lamont happy with the Republicans tax plan,
which keeps his proposed cuts.
But GOP lawmakers want those reductions
to be retroactive to January 2023,
while Lamont's wouldn't go
into effect until next year.
Now we can compare notes.
It makes the negotiations a lot easier.
I guess I'm happy they sort of mirroring
what we want to do on the income tax,
maybe some issues on timing
there. The Democrats and the
governor start that tax relief. Six
months later than us,
while Senate Republicans were absent
from Tuesday's press conference,
Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly
released a statement saying Senate
Republicans will continue to advocate
for even more significant broad
based tax relief in the days ahead.
Legislative Democrats also weighing in,
applauding Republicans for
putting a proposal together.
Speaker of the House Matt Ritter
saying we are in a stronger
position to achieve our goal.
A bipartisan budget,
and that final budget needs
to be approved by June 7th.
Republicans tell me they've already
been in contact with the governor,
and all parties are confident
they will reach agreement on
what they hope is a balanced,
bipartisan state budget in the studio.
Emma Wolforest,
FOX 61 Connecticut's news station.
Now the Fox 61 weather watch with
Chief Meteorologist Rachel Frank,
a rainbow following the rain today.
This is from Brian Le May in Enfield.
Beautiful shot there and once
again out there today. More rain.
What a surprise and get used to
it because we have more showers
coming up in the days ahead.
One thing I will tell you though
is I don't think it'll be as wet.
The next several days,
but occasionally at least,
we'll have a few showers out there.
We've got a shower right now.
We're going to zoom in on one
location right around Berlin.
This one previously had some
small hail associated with it,
but it looks like that's no longer the case.
Right now we're looking at
temperatures in the low fifties,
inland, mid to upper 50s for
the Connecticut shoreline.
We'll see overnight lows around 40,
and then we'll do it all over again tomorrow.
Mostly cloudy skies with a
chance for a spotty shower,
especially as we head through the afternoon.
We'll talk about the light at the end of the.
The tunnel, so to speak.
Coming up
Rachel, thank you.
An incident FOX 61 was following
with this morning exclusively.
A police chase that ended in a crash
on Route 2 right near Riverside Dr.
started all the way in Willimantic
where the suspect stole thousands
of dollars worth of merchandise
from a familyowned business.
Fox 60 one's Lindsay Cain is
in Willimantic with details.
You can see the damage here
at Napa Auto and Truck Parts.
The glass in this door completely
shattered and the sign dented as well.
All of this caught on camera.
A box truck driving right into
this to get into the store and
this is the start of what ended
up being a major police pursuit.
Burglary caught on camera,
the suspect first ramming
the door in at Napa Auto and
Truck parts in Willimantic.
And filling up that big white box
truck with stolen merchandise.
He was almost caught red handed
Willimantic police officer trying to
stop the suspect in the parking lot.
He speeds away with the trunk wide open,
leaving a trail of evidence it was
all falling out of the truck.
Yeah, as he speed
away the door. The back door was open,
so a lot of it ended up in the road on
the parking lot by
the time the father and son
team Jeff and Erin LeBlanc,
made it to their store.
The suspect was caught on
Route 2 near Riverside Dr.
about 30 minutes away.
FOX 61 spotted that truck driving
on the shoulder of the road drunk,
still wide open,
with five police cruisers chasing it.
Police say the box truck crashed
into at least two other vehicles.
Luckily, only minor injuries were reported.
I mean that's that's above and
beyond. If we didn't have a
short response time like we had,
they're probably, they probably wouldn't
have gotten this guy.
The Napa family owned business has
been open for the last 10 years.
They're now trying to comb through
the damage and their losses.
Never had a problem like this.
There's a few $1000
minimum, but it's I'm sure it's
going to be more than that.
All of their merchandise falling
onto the road ended up damaged
the suspects searching the
registers then stealing generators,
oil wipers and other expensive equipment.
The LeBlanc family is crediting the
Police Department for most of their
store staying intact and for locating
the thief before he got away, but
the Willimantic police topnotch.
We estimate a 4 minute response time.
Police say the incident is
still under investigation,
so you can stick with FOX 61 on air,
online and on FOX 61.
Plus as we continue to learn
more and the doors bright and
early this morning at Napa Auto
and truck parts are still open.
As they have been since
2003 in Willimantic,
Lindsay Kane Fox 61
Connecticut's news station
Thank you Lindsay Willimantic police
later telling us the suspect in this
burglary was also involved in an
earlier incident in the town of Lisbon.
The surveillance video was taken from a
business in Lisbon where police say that
box truck was loaded up with more items.
According to investigators,
the box truck has been stolen out
of Waterbury and additional arrest
warrants expected for Salisbury,
where he'll face even more charges.
One person is dead tonight after
a fire at a home in Bristol.
Flames broke out at the home on Steele Rd.
Last night.
As firefighters searched the home,
they found the man in the basement.
He was pronounced dead on scene.
Another resident in the home
was able to get out safely.
No word yet on what caused the fire.
It's been nearly two years since a
deadly house fire took the life of
a firefighter, Ricardo Torres Jr.
and severely injured
Lieutenant Samad Rankin's.
Now, after a serious recovery,
Lieutenant Rankins is back to work.
But the road to get here was long
and it does include a lawsuit.
FOX 61's New Haven County Bureau
Reporter Julia LeBlanc joining
us now live at the Fire Training
Academy in New Haven. Julia.
Hi Jen, good evening to you.
We spoke with Lieutenant Samad Rankin
says he was leaving from his first
day back to work in nearly two years.
He says today was a good day.
It was a long one with lots of
support from his department.
It was a long day, but a good day.
After nearly two years of being on leave,
Lieutenant Samad Rankin's is getting back
into his role as a New Haven firefighter.
I'm definitely happy to be here.
But the memories of May 12th,
2021 are still painful.
That's when Lieutenant Rankin's
and firefighter Ricardo Torres
Junior were responding to a
house fire on Valley Street.
Torres Junior didn't make it out alive.
Lieutenant Rankin's did.
He spent time stuck in the hospital
on an intubator until this moment,
about a week after.
He's something which I call a miracle.
They always say May is a month of miracle.
So he's a miracle.
I mean, he's come a long ways.
Sean Hardy is Rankin's cousin.
His support and that from the
community is what drives him.
I don't know where I'd be
without the community to think
that he's gone through a very,
very difficult period
over the last two years.
But it's coming back to work today.
It's a big deal.
That period has been tough.
In March, Lieutenant Rankin's and his
attorney filed A lawsuit against the city
and the Board of Fire Commissioners.
Saying he was passed up for
a promotion to captain twice,
and it claims back in November of 2022,
Rankin's provided them with medical
reports that quote indicate that
the plaintiff is cleared to return
to work without restrictions.
But the lawsuit says the city and the
department quote have neglected and
refused to return the plaintiff to work.
There may be a disagreement between.
Lieutenant Rankin's in his attorney
in the city as to some details about
when the appropriate time was and the
eligible time was to come back to work.
But now the focus is on his return,
coming back with something
that I know that I wanted,
and I'm sure Ricardo would
have wanted the same thing.
Now Lieutenant Rankins tells us he plans
to reach out to Ricardo's mom tonight,
who he says has been very supportive and
so has the department. As we mentioned,
we have heard from the Fire Chief who
says he's happy he's back to work,
saying, quote after two years away,
it's good to see Lieutenant
Rankin's back on the job.
It's been a long process for him and we
wish him a speedy return to service now.
That process is still ongoing because
Lieutenant Rankin's now has to go through
a recertification process before he.
He goes back on the front lines.
We're live here in New Haven.
Julia Le Blanc, Fox 61,
Connecticut's news station.