Argued
March 7, 2019
Appeal
from the Superior Court, Judicial District of New Haven,
Klatt, J.
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[Copyrighted Material Omitted]
Page 888
Timothy H. Everett, assigned counsel, with whom were Adam
Antar, certified legal intern, and, on the brief, Karen
Mitchell, certified legal intern, Julie Moscato, certified
legal intern, and Uriel Lloyd, certified legal intern, for
the appellant (defendant).
Lisa A.
Riggione, senior assistant states attorney, with whom, on
the brief, were Patrick J. Griffin, states attorney, and
Robert F. Mullins, assistant states attorney, for the
appellee (state).
Keller,
Moll and Beach, Js.
OPINION
BEACH,
J.
[193
Conn.App. 565] The defendant, Jeffrey Orlando Crewe, appeals
from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial,
of possession of a narcotic substance in violation of General
Statutes § 21a-279(a). The defendants sole claim on appeal
is that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to
support his conviction. We affirm the judgment of the trial
court.
The
jury reasonably could have found the following facts. On
August 18, 2014, Hamden Police Officers Greg Curran and
Enrique Rivera were patrolling by bicycle in the area of
Dixwell Avenue and the Farmington Canal Trail (trail). The
officers were assigned to this specific area in response to
reports of bicycle thefts and drug use by teens and young
adults. At approximately 6:12 p.m., Curran and Rivera
observed a young man walk across the trail in a westerly
direction toward Dixwell Avenue and cut through a hole in a
six-foot
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fence that [193 Conn.App. 566] separated the trail from the
adjacent property. Rivera, who was familiar with the cut in
the fence, pointed it out to Curran because he thought
knowledge of the hole might be useful in a future pursuit
situation.
The
officers proceeded through the hole in the fence and entered
an adjacent parking lot situated behind several businesses.
Upon approaching the parking lot, Curran noticed a van parked
behind bushes that concealed the vans presence from
passersby on Dixwell Avenue. Curran testified that "[i]t
was odd for them to be sitting there so [he] went over to
check on them." As Curran approached the van he could
see that there were two people in the front
seats.[1] As Curran approached the van, the
front seat passenger, later identified as the defendant,
quickly reached down ...