Naugatuck Detective Honored with Good Neighbor Award

Naugatuck, CT - The Naugatuck Police Department posted the photo above of Detective Andre Moutela receiving his Good Neighbor Award.

Congratulations to Detective Moutela who is being honored by Waterbury’s Town Plot Neighborhood Association.

Det. Moutela is shown receiving this year's “Good Neighbor Award” for his fluent speaking of Portuguese which assisted the Waterbury Police Department and Connecticut State Police in saving a young life last month.

This is the NPD post from August 9 detailing the reason for Det. Moutela's recent honor.

On August 8, 2019 at 3:00 PM Members of the Naugatuck, Waterbury Police, and Connecticut State Police met at Waterbury Police Headquarters to detail the events as they unfolded the day prior on August 7, 2019 when a suicidal juvenile was threatening to jump from the I-84 overpass at Highland Avenue in Waterbury, CT. Even with State Police stopping traffic, the height of the fall would have likely been fatal.

During the incident, it quickly became clear that there was a language barrier requiring a Portuguese speaking police officer and a request was put out to regional agencies. Naugatuck Police Detective Andre Moutela, fluent in Portuguese, responded to the scene. Detective Moutela initiated contact in Portuguese, and working with Waterbury Police Officers, particularly Waterbury Officer McAvoy, a plan was quickly formulated in which Detective Moutela offered the male a bottle of water. This allowed a brief moment for Officer McAvoy and other officers to grab the male and pull him to safety.

During the press conference, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo credited the officers’ decisiveness and quick-thinking as one of the primary reasons for successfully bringing this incident to a successful resolution. Naugatuck Police Chief Steven Hunt echoed Chief Spagnola’s comments and also cited the strong working relationship that the Naugatuck and Waterbury Police enjoy in being able to quickly and effectively respond with the necessary resources.

WTNH coverage of the incident. Please note that the detective is mistakenly referred to as "her" in this piece.

The Naugatuck Police would like to commend all first responders in this incident, including Waterbury, State Police, and Naugatuck Officers for their actions on this date. This incident highlights the value of continuing to build our strong partnerships with regional agencies and together we can continue to effectively respond to a multitude of incidents that our officers handle across our region on a daily basis.

Fran Dambowsky posted: "Thank you to all the first responders. When you work as a TEAM, good things happen. You Got This"

Hillside Intermediate School Principal Johnna Minicucci Hunt: "Great job by all involved. So thankful that we have such compassionate and skilled officers who were able to save this young boy’s life."

Former Naugatuck principal Evelyn Slason Gobstein added: "Angels at work. Prayers for the young man, and thanks from his family and friends. Daily support will help him to heal."

Nichola Le Fletch commented: "I also saw the people in their cars honking, shouting and clapping when the kid was pulled down. It brought tears honestly. How humbling to know there’s people out there that care this humanely. Respect to our first responders in all jurisdictions. Proud American."

Maria Jose Varandas: "The angels on Earth don’t have wings but we recognize their work!...."