Newtown Police Respond To Knife Assault And Attempted Carjacking: Police

NEWTOWN, CT — A Newtown man is facing multiple charges after police say he assaulted two individuals during separate incidents involving a domestic dispute and an attempted carjacking on June 3.

Officers were first dispatched to a residence on Park Lane around 8:42 p.m. for a report of a domestic dispute involving a knife. According to police, the victim fled the home and called 911 after sustaining a minor laceration. The individual was treated at the scene by Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

While officers searched the area for the suspect, a report of someone screaming on nearby Apple Blossom Lane led police to locate 19-year-old Stephen Wengart. Witnesses said Wengart had placed a food delivery order and, when the driver arrived, ambushed the person while they were returning to their vehicle. Wengart is accused of striking the driver several times, pulling them from the car, and attempting to drive away before officers arrived and ordered him out of the vehicle.

Both Wengart and the delivery driver were injured during the altercation. The driver was transported to Danbury Hospital for treatment.

Wengart was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, second-degree threatening, first-degree robbery, robbery by carjacking, second-degree assault, larceny of a motor vehicle and second-degree breach of peace following the two incidents, and held on bonds totaling $1 million. He was transported to Danbury Superior Court for arraignment on June 4.

CT State Police issued a Purple Alert for Wengart, signaling the investigation of a missing person with an intellectual disability or other developmental disability, on Apr. 26. The alert was canceled after Wengart was located on May 4.

Police said multiple officers from Newtown and neighboring towns responded and worked through the evening to resolve the incidents safely.