A 47-year-old Norwalk man set up a hidden video camera in the bathroom of a Darien business, capturing images of people, but not their faces, Darien police said. The police account described here includes accusations not proven in court:
Police received a report on Jan. 23 that the camera was discovered in a business’ bathroom, concealed beneath the sink. An investigation revealed that the camera had been there since the day before. Police did not say whether the establishment was a store or other business
An investigation led police to arrest Eric Gaucher, 47, of Norwalk.
A 22-year-old man was stopped for a traffic violation by a Darien police officer, who found the vehicle had a suspended registration and the driver, a suspended driver’s license, police said. Darien police gave this further account of what happened, including accusations not proven in court:
The driver, Jorge DaCruz of Schraffts Drive in Waterbury, was stopped by the officer on the Post Road near Ledge Road at about 11:47 a.m. on Sunday, March 30. The Darien police news release didn’t mention what traffic violation he was charged with. Police found that state court in Stamford had issued an arrest warrant for DaCruz when he failed to appear in court on charges of driving with a suspended motor vehicle registration in Norwalk on Nov. 17, 2023.
The Town of Darien offers free bulk pickup to residents each spring. Pickup is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April 1, 2025, to June 11, 2025, for residences on public streets. — a combination of announcements from the town newsletter and the town government website
An appointment for pickup must be scheduled in advance. Each residence is restricted to a single pickup per calendar year. Debris must be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on the day of the scheduled pickup.
A 60-year-old man,repeatedly charged with crimes in various states, has been arrested on accusations he used fraud to get money from two banks in Darien and another in Westport, Darien police said. Police gave this account of the matter, including accusations not proven in court. On Oct. 25, 2024, David McMillian of Cedar Avenue in the Bronx used a phony Connecticut driver’s license to cash a counterfeit check for $2,375 at the Noroton Heights branch of M&T Bank. Later, he tried to get $4,200 at another Darien branch of the same bank in the Old Kings Market Shopping Center at 25 Old Kings Highway North.
The Darien police are supporting the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut, and the department is asking for your help, whether you’re a business or individual. Local police officers will be participating in the Leg 10 part of the run on Friday, June 6. — an announcement from Darien Police Department
You can join the “Adopt a Mile” fundraiser: For a $125 donation, you’ll receive a 15’’ x 24’’ color sign featuring your business’s name! Display it along the Torch Run route or at your business to show your support for Special Olympics and local law enforcement. Plus, the sign is yours to keep!
A “Superintendent’s Conversation” for school parents last Tuesday on the topic of acts of bigotry and the response to it was the focus of most of First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky’s fortnightly column in the latest town government newsletter. The meeting was held after graffiti with a racial slur (the “N” word) was found twice in a girls’ bathroom at Middlesex Middle School, once in January and again in February. In the Town of Darien Newsletter emailed on Friday, March 23, Zagrodzky passed on some of the information from the meeting and added some of his own comments. (Darienite.com has another article on the other part of the column, about the massive construction site downtown.)
Here’s the full text of the major part of Zagrodzky’s column and the pictures accompanying it:
At the invitation of Dr. Alan Addley, Darien schools superintendent, I had a chance to participate in his Superintendent’s Conversation for parents, which took place in the Middlesex Middle School auditorium this past Tuesday. The reason for the event was the discovery, again, of another racial slur written in one of the school bathrooms. As Dr. Addley said in his invitation to parents, “We must collectively and firmly stand against these actions, and I ask for your continued support in making this clear to our students.” The conversation was led by representatives from the area chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
In an incident police described as a reported domestic violence at a home somewhere on the Post Road resulted in the arrest Wednesday of a 48-year-old man who was initially held on a $2 million bond. Police gave this account of the incident, including accusations not proven in court:
After someone called police, officers responded to the home at 1:27 p.m. Kevin Epps of Country Club Road in Norwalk was determined to be the suspect, and he was taken into custody at his home with the help of Norwalk police. Epps was charged with first-degree and second-degree strangulation, second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct. He was not able to meet the initial bond, and the next day (Thursday), he was arraigned in state Superior Court in Stamford. The police announcement did not say anything about how the incident happened or when.
A Hillside Road resident reported the theft of a 2022 Ford Bronco to police at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 12. But the owner turned out to be lucky that morning. Darien police were informed by Derby police that officers in Derby found the vehicle later the same morning, apparently without damage. Darien police detectives processed the vehicle for evidence, then released it to the owner. Police did not say whether the SUV was stolen overnight or whether it was unlocked.
Burglars targeted two vehicles in separate incidents in town last week — one on Tuesday on the Post Road, the other on Saturday on Hecker Avenue, Darien police said. Nothing was taken from either vehicle. In the Saturday incident, the thieves seem to have tried to get the car open with technology designed to subvert a “digital key” — an app on a smartphone that’s used instead of a key fob on some cars. “Digital key” technology is relatively new, and thieves have sometimes been able to get it to open car doors. Police gave the following information about the incidents:
On Tuesday, March 4, an unlocked car parked outside a Post Road home was entered.
The documentary, “The Calling: A Medical School Journey,” about a group of medial students in New York City, will be shown this Monday night at Darien Library, followed by a post-screening discussion with the film’s executive producer, Tim Smith. — an announcement from Darien Library
“The Calling: A Medical School Journey” is a documentary film that follows the year-long journey of a group of diverse medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx as they learn what it takes to become doctors in one of America’s most underserved communities. The film will have its network premiere on PBS in mid-March. In the post-screening discussion, Smith will be in conversation with moderator Douglas Kline. The film is directed by Asako Gladsjon.
Darien police last week arrested a 27-year-old Brooklyn, New York man after an investigation with several other departments looking into counterfeit bills being used at multiple stores, including several at the Old Kings Market shopping plaza in Darien. Police gave this account of the matter, including accusations not proven in court:
On Sept. 25, 2022, police received a report of counterfeit U.S. bills being used for money at the Stop & Shop supermarket in the shopping plaza. Police detectives identified three male suspects, including Myles Rowley, using phony $20 bills to buy items. More counterfeit bills were used in other stores in the shopping plaza, and the suspects were thought to be passing them at other places in Connecticut and New York state. Darien police worked with Fairfield Police, Wappingers Falls Police in New York, and the Secret Service. Matching counterfeit bills and surveillance footage tied the suspects to cases in Fairfield; Whitehall, New York; and Wappingers Falls, New York.
A 30-year-old intoxicated man driving a van struck a telephone pole early Sunday evening on the Post Road near the Stamford border, Darien police said. Police gave this account, including accusations not proven in court:
At 7:17 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 16, when police arrived at the scene near the intersection of the Post Road and Brookside Drive, they saw that 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van had received significant front-end damage, and an airbag had deployed. The van had mounted the curb before hitting the pole. The police news release didn’t indicate whether the driver was injured.
Someone wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt and latex gloves was seen entering a Range Rover in the Center Street parking lot, then fleeing in a white Nissan Maxima, Darien police were told. A witness spoke to police at about 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb.12. Police did not say whether or not anything was taken from the SUV, whether or not it was locked or if the hooded person appeared to be male or female.
A 37-year-old Bronx woman was one of two thieves who stole $2,900 worth of expensive hair-care merchandise at Darien CVS, according to Darien police, who arrested her on a warrant on Jan. 17. Police gave this account of the matter, including accusations not proven in court:
Surveillance video of the store at 964 Post Road showed two suspects, including the woman, Nicole Rivera, fill bags with the merchandise and leave without paying. The theft occurred on March 15, 2024. The pair, believed to be part of an organized retail theft group, are accused by other police departments of stealing from CVS stores in Connecticut and New York.
After a racial slur (the “N word”) was found Thursday in a 6th grade girl’s bathroom, the school’s principal will discuss it with students, and a meeting for parents is being organized for late February, schools Superintendent Alan Addley said. “The matter is currently under investigation by both the school administration and the Darien Police Department,”Addley wrote in an email sent out at 6:36 p.m. to parents and staff. “We are taking this issue seriously and will address it with the necessary urgency.” “We are committed to addressing these situations swiftly and transparently, ensuring that our response is thoughtful and thorough, and that all students feel safe and welcome,” Addley said. Middlesex Middle School Principal Kate Dimoulas and school staff “will address this matter directly with students in upcoming classes and during Flex time,” he said “We also strongly encourage you to have open, age-appropriate conversations at home with your children about the importance of kindness, inclusivity, and the impact of words.”
