By JAMES CRAVEN
Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — Marco Villa, an at-large candidate for Alderman on the Republican slate of Mayor Timothy Stewart, was charged in February with second-degree breach of peace after a series of disturbances.

After hospitalization it was discovered the 10-year school district employee had not taken medication for his diabetes in some time, Villa said Thursday.

“It was stupid of me and I learned a hard lesson from it,” he said of the experience. “I didn’t take diabetes seriously and thought I could just ignore the medications. I was wrong.”

The police report, delivered anonymously to the New Britain Herald, documents several Feb. 17 incidents which led to Villa being issued a misdemeanor summons for causing a disturbance at New Britain High School, where he worked.

An employee of the school district for more than 10 years, Villa was reported to be acting out of character during the February incident by confronting several school employees and using profane language.

According to the police report, Officer John Jackman, assigned to the high school, was called to the main office because Villa was acting strangely and verbally abusive. He was asked to leave the school grounds and drove to an area restaurant where his behavior warranted another call to police. After a third disturbance at another school, authorities decided to order an emergency committal and transported him to the Hospital of Central Connecticut.

During observation, it was discovered that Villa, a diabetic, had neglected to take his medication for nearly two weeks which resulted in an abnormal blood sugar level.

Villa’s case was nolled (ended) by the prosecutor.

He was suspended from his job but reinstated.

“If anything, this has taught me to be an advocate for people who have diabetes and who don’t realize what can happen to them,” Villa said.

Villa, a registered Democrat recruited by Stewart, said the public outing of the report is giving him the chance to get out the truth.

“I’m glad that the whole thing is now being made public,” he said. “I can at least set the record straight.”

Upon hearing of the charge being made public, Stewart accused his opposition of political mudslinging.

“It’s another indication of the desperation the opposition party is feeling,” Stewart said. “At least I can say that my slate hasn’t gone in for this type of thing.”

James Craven can be reached at jcraven@centralctcommunications.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 231.