Latest news with #Wethersfield
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hometown heroes: Wethersfield mural honors fallen firefighter, police officer
WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — A mural in Wethersfield is honoring two local heroes who gave their life in the line of duty. Wethersfield FD honors crew member who died on duty Robert 'Sharky' Sharkevich and Bobby Garten's legacies live on in the mural, which is placed in front of the 911 Sports and Community Center in Wethersfield. Sharkevich, a long-time Connecticut firefighter, died in Oct. 2024 while fighting the Hawthorne fire in Berlin; Garten, a police officer, in Sept. 2023 while responding to a call for help. '[Garten] was my best friend growing up and both of us a lifelong Wethersfield resident, it memorializes a couple of hometown heroes, and it is a great thing!' Jay Granato of Wethersfield said. Granato continued to say that Garten would've loved the mural. Corey Payne, the artist who painted the mural, is also from Wethersfield. He said that he did a lot of research to capture who the two men were in the painting. 'You kind of wanna look at it as a way to see the person again, so you wanna make sure you catch their likeness and essence,' Payne said. The memorial is finished and out for everyone to see. A more personal memorial for Sharkevich is in the firehouse: a piece of glass has been ordered to go in his locker, keeping everything in it as it was the day that he died. 'Here are two people doing their job, making a difference in their communities and unfortunately met an untimely demise, it's important to remember them for all the good things that they did and hopefully it will be an inspiration to the next generation,' Bill Desrosiers, a Wethersfield resident, said. Watch the full video in the player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two CT men who live on same street charged with possession of child sexual abuse material
Police have arrested two men who live on the same street in Wethersfield after allegedly finding each of them with child sexual abuse material. Walter J. Kustwan, 76, and Scott C. Burr, 60, were each charged after investigators searched their homes this week, according to the Wethersfield Police Department. On Monday, Wethersfield detectives were assisted by the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations during a search of Burr's home on Valley Crest Drive in connection with an ongoing child child sexual abuse material investigation, police said. The search involved electronic devices and allegedly turned up sexual abuse images depicting children, according to police. Burr was taken into custody following the search and charged with first-degree possession of child sexual abuse material. He was initially held in custody and arraigned in New Britain Superior Court, where a judge continued the case to July 8. Burr, who is free on $150,000 bond, did not enter a plea, according to court records Kustwan's home on Valley Crest Drive was searched by authorities on Friday. According to Google Maps, his home is about two-tenths of a mile away from Burr's residence. Police did not say the cases are connected. The search allegedly turned up electronic devices with pornographic images involving children, police said. The search warrant for the home was also tied to an ongoing investigation, according to police. Following the search, Kustwan was arrested and charged with first-degree possession of child sexual abuse material. He was held on $100,000 bond and was expected to appear Friday in New Britain Superior Court. 'The Wethersfield Police Department remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these serious offenses,' Wethersfield Police Chief Rafael Medina III said in a statement on the arrests.
