Police: Woman kicked out window, man yelled ‘Sieg Heil’ during arrest
East Lyme — Police arrested two people early Tuesday after they said one kicked out the window of a cruiser and the other yelled “Sieg Heil” in officers’ faces.
According to police, the pair was traveling on West Main Street in a vehicle that officers stopped at 1:10 a.m. because its tail lamps weren’t illuminated.
Upon approaching the vehicle, officers determined the operator — 27-year-old Kathryn I. Schmitt of 9 Joyce Court, Niantic — might be intoxicated. Police said Schmitt failed subsequent field sobriety tests.
According to police, as officers worked to arrest Schmitt, she resisted. Once she was in the cruiser, police said, she slipped out of her handcuffs and kicked out one of the cruiser’s windows.
Police again placed Schmitt in cuffs and took her to the Waterford Police Department for processing per regular departmental procedures.
As officers were struggling with Schmitt, her passenger, 21-year-old Nicholas Aaron Alberini of Woodstock, repeatedly was getting in their way, police said. According to police, Alberini called officers slanderous names and then began threatening them.
Police said they repeatedly asked Alberini to leave the area or at least stay out of the way.
When a female supervisor arrived on scene, police said, Alberini got in her face and began giving the Hitler salute and yelling “Sieg Heil.”
When Alberini allegedly continued to act belligerently and approach the cruiser where Schmitt was, police arrested him.
Schmitt is facing charges of failure to have illuminated tail lamps, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, interfering with an officer, criminal attempt to escape custody and fourth-degree criminal mischief.
Police charged Alberini with interfering with an officer.
Schmitt, released on a $2,000 bond, and Alberini, released on a $500 bond, are due Sept. 5 in New London Superior Court.