3 Charged in Stamford Halloween Superhero Fight

Hahaha! What a bunch of losers!
STAMFORD (WABC) -- Police in Stamford had a comic book melee on their hands when they responded to a report of a fight involving Spiderman, Captain America and Poison Ivy.

The incident happened just after 1:30 a.m. on Halloween.

When officers arrived, they found a non-super hero victim on the ground being attacked by Captain America, while Spiderman launched a simultaneous attack on Captain America.

Officers quickly separated the combatants and determined that the non-costumed victim on the ground was Spiderman's father, and that he and Captain America had gotten into a dispute that turned physical. Spiderman then attacked Captain America.

At some point after the fight was broken up, Poison Ivy was able to hit Captain America once before she was taken into custody.

Officers later determined that in fact the combatants were not the real super heroes, merely regular people dressed in costumes.

Captain America was identified as 25-year-old Michael Sanchez, and police said Spiderman was actually 21-year-old Vincent Decaro. Poison Ivy was 18-year-old Nicole Bitterle, of Toms River, New Jersey.

Both super heroes and the villainess were arrested and released after posting bonds. They are scheduled to appear in court on November 12.

Sanchez is facing third-degree assault charges, while Decaro is charged with third-degree assault and interfering with a police officer. Bitterle was charged with breach of peace.

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Three Charged in CT Superhero Fight

STAMFORD -- In a fistfight involving costumed superheroes, Captain America got the best of Spider-Man -- then Poison Ivy jumped into the fray.

The melee of masked avengers -- and one super-villain -- was broken up when Stamford police arrived and arrested them over the Halloween weekend.

Police officials say officers responded to a fight in the Bell Street parking garage early Sunday morning and found a man dressed as Captain America holding a man on the ground and punching him, Assistant Police Chief Jon Fontneau said.

The fight was reported 1:33 a.m. Sunday by a parking garage employee. It began when a 25-year-old wearing a Captain America costume got into an argument that turned physical with the father of a Stamford man who turned 21 Sunday, police Lt. Elizabeth Erickson said.

Michael Sanchez, 25, of 48 Wardwell St., Stamford, Vincent DeCarlo, 21, of Westhill Circle, Stamford was charged with third-degree assault and interfering with police for a fight Saturday night during which he wore a Spider-Man costume as he fought with the father of Vincent DeCarlo, 21, of Westhill Circle, Stamford.

DeCarlo wore the Spider-Man outfit and allegedly punched Sanchez as police tried to break up the scuffle. DeCarlo's girlfriend, Nicole Bitterli, 18, of Toms River, N.J., was dressed as Poison Ivy -- a villain in Batman comics and films -- and hit Sanchez during the altercation.

DeCarlo's father -- who did not wear a costume -- was not charged in the incident.

DeCarlo was bloodied during the fight and taken to Stamford Hospital for treatment.

Sanchez was charged with third-degree assault. DeCarlo was charged with interfering with police and third-degree assault. Nicole Bitterli, 18, of Toms River, N.J., faces a single count of breach of peace for a fight Saturday nigh during which she was dressed as Poison Ivy.

Balloon Boy Parents Get Jail Time, Tough Probation

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The parents who carried out the balloon boy hoax were sentenced to jail Wednesday and given strict probation conditions that forbid them from earning any money from the spectacle for four years.

Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail, including 60 days of work release that will let him pursue his job as a construction contractor while serving his time. His wife, Mayumi, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.

Richard Heene choked back tears as he said he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down false reports that his 6-year-old son had floated away in a balloon on Oct. 15. It was a stunt designed to generate attention for a reality TV show.

"I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it," said Richard Heene, whose wife did not speak at the hearing.

Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski then ordered Heene to begin a 30-day jail term on Jan. 11, delaying the start of the sentence for two weeks so he can spend the holidays with his family. Schapanski allowed Heene to serve the remaining 60 days of his jail term under work release, meaning he can work during the day but spend his nights in jail.

The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.

"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.

The Heenes pleaded guilty to charges that they carried out the balloon hoax, with deals that called for up to 90 days in jail for the husband and 60 days for his wife.

Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible — she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example — so the children are cared for, the judge said.

Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax — an amount that could exceed $50,000.

"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."

He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. (The Heenes) need to go to jail so people don't do that."

He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks — and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.

They chose Oct. 15 because the weather was cooperating and the kids were home for school with parent-teacher conferences, allowing the Heenes to report that 6-year-old Falcon had floated away, Lewis said.

Once the parents were brought in for questioning, Richard Heene feigned sleep during the lie-detector test, claiming it was some sort of diabetic episode, Lewis said.

David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.

"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.