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Waterbury dispatcher on leave for conduct during 911 call for murdered food delivery woman

WATERBURY — Two days after a woman was murdered while on a food delivery call, the 911 dispatcher who took the emergency phone call has been placed on lea...
Waterbury delivery driver scene

WATERBURY -- Two days after a woman was murdered while on a food delivery call, the 911 dispatcher who took the emergency phone call has been placed on leave.

On Tuesday night around 9:30 p.m., Helena Vargas, 59, of Waterbury was found shot in the passenger side of a car outside 70 Linden St.

Four teens were arrested after the shooting, which was witnessed by a second delivery driver, Rolando Alvarez, 60, who was with Vargas.

On Thursday, Nicole Scarino was placed on administrative leave from her position as a civilian dispatcher due to her conduct on the call, during which you can hear her and Alvarez, whose first language isn't English, struggle to communicate. Scarino has been on the job for seven years.

A Change.org petition was launched Wednesday afternoon calling for Scarino's firing.

Waterbury dispatcher on leave for conduct during 911 call for murdered food delivery woman

Alvarez heard Vargas scream "Papi! Papi!" and then heard two "pops," which he thought were gun shots.

The two men then ran back to the side of the house they had come from, along with the women.

Alvarez ran to use Vargas' phone since his was stolen, but he couldn't work it so he ran to a nearby convenience store. By the time he returned police were on the scene.

So far, four people were arrested in connection with the shooting, all teenagers. Anthony Wright, 19, of New York, the other male and two females, all who are under 18, are all facing murder charges.

Wright is a member of the Crips street gang and has a rap sheet that includes robbery in the first degree, according to officials.

Police believe the people were targeted in the incident and that at least one of the four arrested had called the restaurant to make the delivery order. Investigators said all four of the suspects blamed each other when they were interviewed about what happened.

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