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Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Whelk: Newest Addition to Westport Dining Scene

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The Whelk, the fish-centric dining spot from Westport Le Farm owner Bill Taibe and Massimo Tulio of Norwalk’s Fat Cat Pie Company, has opened at its Riverside Avenue waterview location in the new Saugatuck Center development owned by the Gault family. After nights of friends and family dining and the official opening, the restaurant will be closed today until it reopens Tuesday.  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

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Dramatic Winter Sky

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Friday night’s sunset produced a dramatic winter sky as seen from Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Alan H. Martin for WestportNow.com

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Saturday, January 28, 2012


10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Toy Stories”
11 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Earthplace - “Warming Up to Winter”
2 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Teen XBox Event
4 p.m. - Christ & Holy Trinity Church - Westport Cinema Initiative: “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey”
7 p.m. - Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens - Westport Farmers Market “Fork it Over” benefit

See more events:  Celebrate Westport Calendar

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Crayon Art at ‘Toy Stories’

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Artist Christian Faur created this art work using 10,000 wax crayons. It is part of the Westport Arts Center’s “Toy Stories” exhibit which opened tonight featuring toy-related works by 33 artists. Faur said his crayon art was inspired by seeing his young daughter using them. The exhibit runs through March 18. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com

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Not Just for Kids


The Westport Arts Center tonight opened its latest exhibit, “Toy Stories,” featuring the works of 33 artists. Helen Klisser During, curator of the exhibit and the Center’s visual arts director, shows off a doll in her image created by artist Janine Brown. The show runs through March 18. Larry Untermeyer for WestportNow.com and contributed photos

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Westport Property Transfers Jan. 9 - 13, 2011

Westport property transfers as reported by the Town Clerk’s office for the period Jan. 9 - 13, 2012:

Mohamed Wael A Hashad to Gurpreet and Mansi Singh, 105A Old Road, $1,480,000WN property.jpg

Maureen Dewan to Selden Family Trust of 1997, 5 Terra Nova Circle, $870,000

William J. and Mary B. Heery to Gareth H. and Dongnghi T. Kirwan, 26 Hogan Trail, $825,000

Angelo Veno to Nicole Phillips and Chris Neil, 9 Indian Hill Road, $435,000

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Spanish Authorities Confirm Levene Died by Hanging

UPDATE Spanish authorities today confirmed that Westport murder suspect Andrew R. Levene was found hanged in his Barcelona jail cell.

In a statement, the justice department of Catalonia said Levene was found dead Thursday in the Modelo prison. A Spanish newspaper said he was found by a cellmate.

An investigation into the death was under way but all signs indicated he had committed suicide by hanging himself with a sheet, a spokeswoman said.

Levene, 41, was arrested in Barcelona on Tuesday in the Dec. 8 shooting of Yekutiel Zeevi at his Compo Shopping Center jewelry business.

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Rainy Commute

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Rain and foggy conditions were the order of the day today as commuters at Westport’s Metro-North station made their way to trains. The forecast called for rain throughout the day with temperatures getting into the unseasonable 50s. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

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Friday, January 27, 2012


8:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201A – Westport Transit District Board
9:30 a.m. – Town Hall Room 201 – Baron’s South Committee Canceled
9:30 a.m. - Westport Arts Center - ArtCafé Canceled
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - “Toy Stories”
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. - Westport Arts Center - Opening Reception: “Toy Stories”
8 p.m. - 10 p.m. - Westport Public Library - WestportREADS benefit: Tropical Island Party

See more events:  Celebrate Westport Calendar

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Nava Zeevi: Justice Was Served ‘With His Own Hands’

By James Lomuscio

Nava Zeevi said tonight that news of her husband’s accused murderer committing suicide in a Barcelona jail cell gave her a sense of relief that she and her family would not have to go through a painful, drawn out trial.

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Nava and Yekutiel Zeevi on a trip to Israel. Facebook.com photo

“To me justice has been served, and he did it with his own hands,” she said of murder suspect Andrew Robert Levine, 41.

She also took the opportunity to thank the Westport community for its continued support to her ever since her husband Yekutiel Zeevi, 65, had been shot to death at his Westport jewelry businesses and a co-worker critically wounded.

Levene had been arrested in Spain Tuesday after an intensive, six-week investigation by Westport Police and state and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI. He was found dead today after he had hanged himself with articles of clothing at the Men’s Penitentiary Center of Barcelona, popularly known as Modelo Prison, the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported.

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Report: Levene Hanged Himself in Jail Cell

A Spanish newspaper said today Westport murder suspect Andrew R. Levene hanged himself in his Barcelona prison cell and was found by a fellow prisoner.

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The Modelo Prison in Barcelona where murder suspect Andrew R. Levene was reportedly found hanged in his cell. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Pere Lopez/Wikipedia.com photo

Quoting “sources close to the case,” La Vanguardia, Barcelona’s leading newspaper, said Levene was found dead in his cell at the Men’s Penitentiary Center of Barcelona, popularly known as Modelo Prison.

It said he hanged himself “using some items such as clothing found in the cell.”

The U.S. Embassy in Madrid said Spanish authorities had confirmed Levene’s death but were still investigating the circumstances.

01/26/12 06:26 PM Comments (2) • Permalink Digg Favicon Email Favicon Facebook Favicon LinkedIn Favicon TwitThis Favicon

Murder Suspect Had Huge Debt and Special Ops Training

By James Lomuscio

Andrew Robert Levene, 41—who reportedly committed suicide in a Spanish jail today while awaiting extradition to Connecticut for the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yekutil Zeevi—was in financial straits and facing civil suits prior to the robbery that left Zeevi dead and a co-worker critically injured.

Internet searches also describe Levene as a former West Haven resident and former U.S. Army Ranger who served under Gen. Wayne A Downing, commander of American Special Operations forces in Iraq.

According to delawareonline.com, Silverleaf Business Solutions LLC sued Levene on Nov. 5 for his failure to pay a $300,000 promissory note taken out in November 2007.

The night Zeevi, 65, was murdered and his colleague Ronen Konfino, 48, was critically wounded, Levene stole six diamonds valued at $300,000, federal authorities said. According to delawareonline.com, with interest, Levene owed $556,298.

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WestportNow Teardown of the Day: 10 Caccamo Lane Ext.

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An application for a permit to demolish the house at Westport’s 10 Caccamo Lane Extension, near Gorham Avenue, is in process. Built in 1963, the one-story raised ranch has 1,554 square feet and is situated on a .51-acre property. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

01/26/12 01:59 PM Comments (0) • Permalink Digg Favicon Email Favicon Facebook Favicon LinkedIn Favicon TwitThis Favicon

Update: Westport Murder Suspect Found Dead

UPDATE Andrew R. Levene, arrested in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday in the murder of Westport jeweler Yukutiel Zeevi, has been found dead, the U.S. Embassy in Madrid said today.

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Andrew R. Levene: was arrested in Barcelona. Contributed photo

The embassy said in a statement that American officials were notified today of Levene’s death and that Spanish authorities are investigating, according to The AP.

La Vanguardia, Barcelona’s leading newspaper, said Levene hanged himself in Modelo Prison using items such as clothing. It quoted “sources close to the case.”

Earlier, The Hartford Courant, quoting law enforcement sources, said Levene had killed himself in his cell but did not say how.

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Five Departures Signal ‘Bumpy Road’ for Temple Israel

By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Temple Israel will undergo major personnel changes, according to a letter today announcing the departures of Senior Rabbi Robert Orkand, Associate Rabbi Alysa Mendelson Graf, two cantors and the temple’s executive director over the next six to 18 months.

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Rabbi Robert Orkand (who rerires next year): “It’s not a shakeup.” Contributed photo

“Some of these changes have been expected; they are personal decisions and reflect the passage of time,” wrote Diana Muller, president of the temple’s executive committee. She noted that Orkand, “the face of Temple Israel over three decades,” had been discussing retirement plans for the past several months.

“Others (changes) respond to those developments or reflect organizational decisions by the Board of Trustees as we look at the needs of the Temple going forward,” she added about the Coleytown Road house of worship that first opened in 1958.

Orkand noted that his decision to retire after 30 years from the 850-member congregation “necessitated other decisions, and those other decisions were based on some inevitable retirements and thinking about what our future should look like.”

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Hazy Sunset

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Wednesday’s hazy sunset as seen from South Beach at Westport’s Compo Beach. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

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Thursday, January 26, 2012


10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Gilbertie’s (7 Sylvan Lane) - Westport Farmers Market Winter Market
10 a.m. - Earthplace – Sasco Brook Pollution Abatement Committee
11 a.m. - Westport Historical Society - Film Screening of “YERT” (“Your Environmental Road Trip”)
2 p.m. - Westport Public Library - Overcoat Film Series: “My Darling Clementine”
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Westport Senior Center - CT Money School: “Eldercare Considerations: Resources and Choices,” Joel Muhlbaum & Sharon Rosen
6:30 p.m. - Westport Public Library - WestportREADS Movie: “Amelia”
7 p.m. – Town Hall Room 309 – Sherwood Mill Pond Committee

See more events:  Celebrate Westport Calendar

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Spanish Police: Westport Suspect Arrested in Barcelona

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Andrew R. Levene: “living with family” in Spain. Contributed photo

UPDATE Spanish police said today they had detained U.S. citizen Andrew Robert Levene, suspected of shooting Westport jeweler Yukutiel Zeevi, in Barcelona where he was living with his family.

“During the search of his home, police seized several items related to the crime,” a statement (English translation here)  said, adding the arrest was carried out in cooperation with the FBI. The statement said he was arrested at noon local time (6 a.m. EST) on Tuesday.

It was the first official word exactly where the 41-year-old Levene had been captured and that additional evidence was seized.

A statement Tuesday by federal authorities merely said he had been arrested in Spain after fleeing abroad following the Dec. 8 robbery-murder.

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Community Gardens Member Honored

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Trish Williams, past treasurer and membership coordinator of the Westport Community Gardens, was honored tonight by members at a meeting at the Westport Public Library. With her is Lou Weinberg, chairman, who presented her with a blown glass award and plaque honoring her work for the group. Williams announced she is resigning her board post but will stay on as an active member of the gardens. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Alyssa Crouse for WestportNow.com

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Going Down: 26 Buena Vista Drive

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The house at Westport’s 26 Buena Vista Drive, in the Compo Beach area, was demolished today. Built in 1954, the 1-3/4 story cape had 2,587 square feet and was situated on a .19-acre property. A fire in the early morning of Sept. 4, 2011 severely damaged the house. It was the WestportNow Teardown of the Day on Nov. 15, 2011. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

01/25/12 05:54 PM Comments (0) • Permalink Digg Favicon Email Favicon Facebook Favicon LinkedIn Favicon TwitThis Favicon

Shays Officially Launches Senate Bid

By Mark Pazniokas

www.ctmirror.org

After a soft launch three months ago, Chris Shays raised the curtain on his U.S. Senate campaign today with pointed references to his unexpected victory 25 years ago over two wealthy businessmen in a Republican congressional primary.

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Christopher Shays announces his candidacy today at the Old State House in Hartford. Ctmirror.org photo

He was not merely indulging in nostalgia. To win the GOP nomination in 2012, Shays will need to recapture of the energy and mojo of his 1987 upset, showing he can replicate on a statewide level tactics that worked in the state’s smallest and most densely settled congressional district.

Shays, 66, who represented Fairfield County’s 4th District in the U.S. House for 21 years until his defeat in 2008, is the wild card in the GOP primary: a polished, if underfunded campaigner up against the deep, deep pockets of Linda McMahon.

“We need to select a United States senator who possesses the courage, the record and the experience to get things done,” Shays told an audience at the Old State House in Hartford.

Click here for more of story

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Saugatuck Church Selects New Pastor

The Saugatuck Congregational Church has selected The Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton as its new pastor. She joins the church from First Church Simsbury in Simsbury.

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The Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton: begins May 1. Contributed photo

She was unanimously approved by the members who attended the Congregational meeting following the worship service on Sunday and her appointment was announced in a letter Tuesday to members and church friends.

A native New Englander, sher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and theater arts from Bates College and a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary.

Prior to working in Simsbury, she was dean of community life and director of admissions and recruitment at Chicago Theological Seminary and served at the Peoples Church of Chicago.

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No Injuries in Wilton Road Rollover

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No injuries were reported in a two-vehicle accident in mid-afternoon today on Wilton Road near Poplar Plains Road at the Westport-Wilton line. According to a witness, the driver of a Land Rover, traveling toward Wilton, swerved to avoid a Chrysler Imperial that come to an abrupt stop, then swerved off the road and up an embankment hitting a utility pole causing the vehicle to roll over on its side.  Wilton police and firefighters responded to the scene while a Westport police officer directed traffic that was compressed to one lane. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

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Westporter Picked to Pitch the State

By James Lomuscio

“I Love New York.” “New Jersey and You.” “Virginia is for Lovers.”

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Tony Kobylinski: Seeking “major rock” brand. Contributed photo

And Connecticut?

Westporter Tony Kobylinski is thinking.

Kobylinski, whose New York ad firm this month got a piece of Gov.  Dannel P. Malloy’s $22 million state marketing campaign, says the most demanding task will be to develop “a brand for the state.”

“I think one of the biggest challenges is to bring the Connecticut DNA to the forefront because right now there’s really a lack of any kind of brand for the state,” said Kobylinski, creative director for Chowder, Inc., one of four companies hired from 21 proposals for the two-year campaign.

“I really think of it as Connecticut’s DNA, and that’s what we’re trying to find an uncover,” added the Westport resident of 15 years. “I know it’s there.”

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012


5:15 p.m. - 134 Cross Highway - Wakeman Town Farm Committee

See more events:  Celebrate Westport Calendar

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Staples Falls to No. 1 St. Joe

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The Staples boys basketball team tonight fell 79-61 to the No. 1-ranked team in the state. The St. Joe Cadets, who were state champions last year, proved to be too much for the Wreckers, snapping their four-game winning streak. The Wreckers are now 5-4 in the FCIAC while the Cadets improve to 9-0 in the FCIAC and 11-0 overall. Staples plays at home Friday at 7 p.m. when they take on Fairfield Warde. Pictured is Wrecker Peter Rankowitz driving to the hoop. Elaine Rankowitz for WestportNow.com

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Welcoming The Secretary of The State to Westport

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Denise Merrill, Connecticut’s Secretary of The State, addressed a League of Women Voters meeting today at the Westport Public Library to explain how Connecticut is working on getting increased voter participation. Members from Westport, Weston, Fairfield, New Canaan, Wilton, and Redding attended. She said she is working on a package of legislation that would allow Election Day registration; broader use of absentee ballots, and stiffer penalties for voter harassment and intimidation. Merrill (l) posed with Patricia Strauss, Westport Town Clerk; state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, and Woody Bliss, former first selectman of Weston. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

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Explaining Transportation for Seniors

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Nancy McCormick, executive director of ITN Coastal CT, a nonprofit organization that provides transportation to senior citizens, addressed the Westport Rotary Club today at the inn at Longshore. She said that in 2012 the organization projects it will provide more than 4,000 rides in the Westport area based on its current volume of about 300 rides each month and growing. She said the ITN Coastal CT organization serves individuals who are 60 and older as well as the visually impaired who are at least 18 in the area that encompasses Westport Weston, Norwalk, Wilton Fairfield and Easton. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

01/24/12 07:53 PM Comments (0) • Permalink Digg Favicon Email Favicon Facebook Favicon LinkedIn Favicon TwitThis Favicon

Feds: Murder Suspect Has Wife, Two Children, CT Ties

UPDATE An affidavit released by federal authorities today with announcement of the arrest in Spain of a suspect in the Dec. 8 jewelry robbery and murder said he traveled there with his wife and two children and has family members in Connecticut and New York.

It said Robert A. Levene, 41, flew from Newark, N.J. to Barcelona, Spain, with his wife and two children on Sept. 7, shortly after purchasing four one-way tickets.

“According to immigration authorities, there is no indication that Levene’s wife or two children have returned to the United States” since their departure, the document said. The affidavit also said investigators determined Levene was formerly in the military and “has training in the use of weapons.”

It added: “Levene has family members both in Connecticut and New York. Levene previously used a Connecticut address as a point of contact and regularly provides two contact phone numbers that have New York City area codes.”

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Feds Release Photo of Westport Murder Suspect

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut today released this photo of Andrew Robert Levene, also known, as Robert Thomas, 41, who it said earlier had been arrested in Spain on Monday for the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yakutiel Zeevi. It said those “with information that may be helpful to the investigation are encouraged to call the Westport Police Department at 203-341-6025.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

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Nava Zeevi Praises Police for Suspect’s Arrest

By James Lomuscio

A teary Nava Zeevi today said while she was “very happy” her husband’s suspected murderer had been caught, “it’s not going to bring my husband back.”

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Nava and Kuti Zeevi enjoy a moment in Israel. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Photo from Facebook.com

“I am very happy that justice will be served,” she said in a phone interview. “My husband did not deserve to die like a dog like that. He was a dear, dear man.

“We had a beautiful life together,” she added about her more than 40-year marriage to Westport jeweler Yekhutil Zeevi, 65, shot to death the evening of Dec. 8 at his Post Road East business. “I loved him.”

Her comments came shortly after it was announced in late morning that Spanish police on Monday arrested Andrew Robert Levene, 41, also known as Robert Thomas, on federal murder, robbery and firearms charges. She had advance word of the arrest from Westport police.

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Joseloff: ‘We Hope Arrest Will Ease the Nightmare’

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff today released the following statement after the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of a suspect in the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yekutiel Zeevi.

“We are deeply grateful for the painstakingly hard work of Westport Police, State Police, those from other states as well as federal agencies in apprehending the suspect in Yekutiel Zeevi’s murder.

“We hope the end of one of the most intensive manhunts in the town’s history will help ease the nightmare of this crime for the family and all Westporters who have been outraged by its wanton cruelty.

“Fortunately, crimes such as this are a rarity in Westport. But we all draw comfort from the fact that our police, backed by state and federal resources, were able to track the alleged killer down within weeks of the crime.

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Text: Announcement of Arrest of Murder Suspect

Click here for affidavit

Here is the text of a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcing the arrest of a suspect in the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yekutiel Zeevi, 65:

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One of two photos released today by federal officials of suspect Andrew Robert Levene. Contributed photo
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Yekutiel Zeevi: slain in robbery that netted six diamonds worth $300,000. File photo

United States Attorney David B. Fein, Westport Police Chief Dale E. Call, Colonel Danny R. Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police, Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshal Joseph P. Faughnan today announced that ANDREW ROBERT LEVENE, also known as “Robert Thomas,” 41, was arrested yesterday in Spain on federal murder, robbery and firearm charges.

According to a federal criminal complaint filed in the District of Connecticut, it is alleged that on the evening of December 8, 2011,  LEVENE met with the owner of YZ Manufacturers, LLC, (“Y.Z. Jewelers”) in Westport, Conn., pretending he was going to complete the purchase of several large diamonds he had arranged to buy earlier that month.  Instead, LEVENE shot and killed the owner of Y.Z. Jewelers, shot and wounded the owner’s associate, stole approximately $300,000 in diamonds, and later fled the United States to Europe.

“I want to commend the Westport Police, Connecticut State Police, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, New York and Spain for their expert, coordinated investigation that has led to the apprehension of this defendant,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein.

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Timeline: Arrest Ends Seven-Week Manhunt

UPDATE Today’s announcement of the arrest of a suspect in the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yekutiel “Kuti” Zeevi ended one of the most intensive manhunts in the town’s history.

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Police released this photo of the suspect on Dec. 15. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

It was the first murder in Westport in 15 years. The wanton cruelty of the crime provoked fear, revulsion and outrage that such a crime could occur in a town where intensive police efforts are more likely to be directed against downtown shoplifters than armed robbers.

Longtime Westport residents likened the Zeevi murder manhunt to the nationwide one more than a half century ago following the murder of a Westport housewife and rape of her teenage daughter. In 1961, that four-day search ended in the Georgia arrest of handyman Harlis Miller.

More recently, there was the still unsolved 1989 murder of Joan Wertkin, a Westport mother whose burned body was found behind the Merritt Country Store on Main Street and Canal Street. Before Zeevi’s murder, that crime was getting renewed attention by Westport detectives.

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Suspect Captured in Westport Jeweler Murder

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut today announced the arrest of a suspect in the Dec. 8 murder of Westport jeweler Yekutiel Zeevi, 65. It said Andrew Robert Levene, also known as Robert Thomas, 41, was arrested Monday in Spain. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

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Video: Temple Israel ‘Freezin’ for a Reason’ Plunge

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