Norwalk officers accused of ignoring service calls, drinking appear in court
Two Norwalk officers accused of drinking and ignoring service calls while on duty faced a judge for the first time Wednesday.
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Feb 17, 2021, 11:58 PM
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Updated 1,255 days ago
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2ds agoTwo Norwalk
officers accused of drinking and ignoring service calls while on duty faced a
judge for the first time Wednesday.
Police
say officers Michael Dimeglio and Sara Laudano were found at a hotel together
when they were supposed to be on patrol. That led to an investigation and their
arrests last month.
On Wednesday, Dimeglio, a
veteran officer with the Norwalk Police Department, applied for a court
rehabilitation program that could lead to his charges being dropped.
The attorney for
Laudano told the judge his client will likely do the same.
Accelerated
rehabilitation is a program for first-time offenders that allows them to avoid
a guilty plea or trial and instead serve probation. If they do so without any
criminal violations, the charges are dismissed.
Dimeglio and
Laudano are accused of drinking at Donovan's in South Norwalk just before
starting their shifts Oct.9.
Once on the clock,
police say they drank more alcohol in the department's parking lot, where
Laudano also took a hit of THC from a vape pen.
That evening, she
allegedly continued to drink in the parking lot of High Ridge School, with
Dimeglio and a friend joining her for part of the time.
Laudano is accused
of spending four hours there and ignoring two calls for service.
Police say both officers
later checked into the Even Hotel while still on the job for an overtime shift.
When dispatch couldn't get ahold of Laudano, a supervisor tracked her down.
Police say the two
were found in a room together, "not in a condition to respond to calls for
service."
Dimeglio and
Laudano are charged with reckless endangerment along with larceny for getting
paid while allegedly not working.
Laudano faces an
additional charge of risk of an injury to a child for allegedly drinking then
driving with her baby in the patrol car.
Both defense
attorneys had no comment Wednesday. The case returns to court May 24.
Both officers are
suspended while an internal investigation continues.
