NORTH CANAAN, CT—A man described by the first selectman as "a thorn in this town's side" prompted a biohazard alert and cleanup after he slipped feces-smeared envelopes into the local resident state trooper's office, according to an arrest warrant.
Christopher Jordano, 40, was arrested last week on charges of second-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief, and first-degree breach of peace. Jordano was being held on $20,000 bond for a court appearance set for Oct. 17.
The smell of fecal matter permeated North Canaan Town Hall on the afternoon of July 27, the warrant says. Just inside the resident trooper's office, police found three feces-smeared envelopes that police use when issuing infractions.
Due to the risk of disease transmission by what appeared to be human feces, "as well as the unpleasant odor radiating into the offices of town hall," officials evacuated the building and closed public business for the rest of the day, police said. Environmental Services Inc. of South Windsor, specialists in hazardous waste removal, was contracted for the estimated $1,500 clean-up.
A town official told state police that surveillance cameras inside and outside the building showed Jordano, a well-known ticket scofflaw and the subject of many motorists' complaints, was responsible, the warrant says. Cameras captured Jordano arriving in a red, 2007 Ford F350 Super Duty pickup truck at 3:18 p.m., police said. Inside, a camera recorded him trying the locked door to the resident trooper's office, then leaving the building and returning to his truck for about two minutes before reentering town hall, the warrant says.
Surveillance footage showed Jordano sliding the smeared envelopes under the door, police said. The outside camera could not capture the suspect inside his vehicle, the warrant says, so "it is not known whether Jordano defecated while in the automobile or brought the feces with him to the town hall."
Over the prior three days, police had issued six parking violations to Jordano "for his continued defiance" in parking vehicles on Barlow Street, the street he lives on, which is clearly marked for no parking the length of the street, Trooper Jeremy Ribadeneyra wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit.
Jordano could not be reached for comment and no attorney was listed in court records.
First Selectman Charles Perotti gave police a sworn statement in which he labeled Jordano "a thorn in this town's side for the past 20 years." Jordano's home, Perotti told police, is the subject of constant and continuous complaints. Jordano regularly parks and works on vehicles on the roadway, causing a traffic hazard, according to Perotti's statement. He also "burns any kind of material in his residence and the smell and smoke cause complaints of their own," the first selectman told police. The town's former fire marshal, he said, was "particularly afraid of Jordano's behavior."
Also, the front lawn of his house "is full of equipment and collections of junk," Perotti said, according to the warrant. "This is a blight issue that everyone seems to be afraid to deal with, as they are afraid of the repercussions from Jordano."
Since 2004, state police at Troop B have had 163 interactions with Jordano, many for parking violations prompted by calls from motorists complaining about unsafe driving conditions on the road by his house, police say.
"It's safe to say he has no interest in obeying state and local laws," Perotti is quoted as saying.
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