Dennis Valera
Reporter
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Dennis Valera joined the Channel 3 Eyewitness News team in December 2020.
Before coming to Connecticut, Dennis spent nearly four years in Fresno, California. There he reported on health access issues, agriculture, as well as numerous mass shootings and wildfires around the state. He started his news career in southeastern Idaho.
Originally from the Chicagoland area, he graduated from Columbia College Chicago. He's excited to be back in an area with all four seasons and excited to see what's in the Nutmeg State -- especially the hiking trails and restaurants.
The reason Dennis wanted to work in news was to help others. If there's anything you think he can help with, feel free to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Hiking spots, restaurant suggestions and recipes are welcome, too!
Education
Updated: Dec. 2, 2022 at 8:19 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Rob Polansky
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones filed for personal bankruptcy.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2022 at 10:43 AM EST
|By Evan Sobol, Dennis Valera, Marcy Jones, Jay Kenney, Audrey Russo and Christian Colón
Three men were hospitalized following a shooting that happened outside of a convenience store in Waterbury on Tuesday.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2022 at 12:42 AM EST
|By Evan Sobol and Dennis Valera
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward as the search for a man who is accused of killing his daughter continues.
Updated: Nov. 29, 2022 at 7:02 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
If the large number of flu cases wasn’t bad enough, there’s now a shortage on medications to treat it.
Updated: Nov. 28, 2022 at 4:00 PM EST
|By Evan Sobol and Dennis Valera
The Department of Public Health announced Connecticut’s first flu death of the season.
Updated: Nov. 25, 2022 at 6:07 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera
Someone got in through the back of the multi-family home the party was at, got to the second floor where they all were, then fired.
Updated: Nov. 25, 2022 at 7:33 AM EST
|By Dennis Valera, Zoe Strothers, Jay Kenney and Christian Colón
The National Retail Federation estimates a record-making 166,300,000 million people will start holiday shopping this weekend.
Updated: Nov. 24, 2022 at 9:46 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Zoe Strothers
They’ve responded to more than a hundred accidents, arrested six drivers suspected of DUI, and issued more than 250 citations and infractions for things like speeding and distracted driving.
Updated: Nov. 23, 2022 at 6:44 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Cats have been turning up dead in a Waterbury neighborhood and advocates say it’s clear they’ve been beaten.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2022 at 12:06 AM EST
|By Audrey Russo, Rob Polansky, Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Police released more information about the search for a man they say murdered a baby last week in Naugatuck.
Updated: Nov. 20, 2022 at 10:14 PM EST
|By Rob Polansky, Bryant Reed and Dennis Valera
Police in Naugatuck are looking for who they’re calling an “armed and dangerous” suspect.
Updated: Nov. 18, 2022 at 12:21 PM EST
|By Jay Kenney, Audrey Russo, Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
A police officer was treated for minor injuries after being shot during an undercover operation in Waterbury late Wednesday night.
Updated: Nov. 16, 2022 at 8:27 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Thanks to state funding and a partnership with state police, Waterbury police have a dedicated violent crime task force.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2022 at 6:30 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Plow truck drivers are needed ahead of the major snow season.
Updated: Nov. 14, 2022 at 5:25 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera
Cheshire will be getting two brand new schools after the majority of voters there checked “yes” on their ballots.
Updated: Nov. 9, 2022 at 12:20 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera, Rob Polansky, Marcy Jones, Jay Kenney, Evan Sobol and Christian Colón
Rep. Jahana Hayes has been re-elected to Connecticut’s 5th congressional district, according to the Office of the Secretary of the State.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 7:33 PM EST
|By Dennis Valera
A judge is now figuring out exactly how much more Infowars host Alex Jones must pay a group of Sandy Hook victims’ families, as well as an FBI agent who responded to the school that day.
Updated: Nov. 4, 2022 at 8:01 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
After already having to pay nearly a billion dollars to Sandy Hook families, Alex Jones will be ordered to pay more as part of the punitive damages phase of his defamation trial.
Updated: Nov. 2, 2022 at 12:37 PM EDT
|By Evan Sobol, Christian Colón, Olivia Kalentek, Eliza Kruczynski, Audrey Russo and Dennis Valera
A deadly crash investigation in Waterbury erupted into chaos when another vehicle plowed into the crash scene.
Updated: Nov. 1, 2022 at 6:51 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
With the global natural gas supply stretching thin, Eversource and other utility companies have been sounding the alarm.
Updated: Oct. 28, 2022 at 10:31 AM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Rob Polansky
The tributes keep coming in for Bristol’s fallen officers.
Updated: Oct. 26, 2022 at 6:22 PM EDT
|By Dylan Fearon, Rob Polansky, Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Bristol police and the city’s mayor held a news conference to address how the community will move forward after the murders of two police officers.
Updated: Oct. 25, 2022 at 7:23 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Connecticut is one of four states that still doesn’t allow early in-person voting. In two weeks, voters will decide if that could change.
Updated: Oct. 25, 2022 at 12:17 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Rob Polansky
Connecticut is one of a handful of states without early in-person voting.
Updated: Oct. 24, 2022 at 8:19 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
With the recent surge of another respiratory illness in children, doctors say we have to be even more vigilant this winter.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2022 at 8:52 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
To make sure everyone had a chance to see the funeral, the city of Bristol hosted public watch gatherings for anyone who couldn’t make it to East Hartford.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2022 at 12:43 PM EDT
|By Jay Kenney, Rob Polansky, Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
A 19-year-old man was killed in an early morning collision in Waterbury, according to police.
Updated: Oct. 19, 2022 at 12:31 PM EDT
|By Olivia Kalentek, Rob Polansky, Marc Robbins, Audrey Russo, Ayah Galal, Marcy Jones, Roger Susanin, Dylan Fearon and Dennis Valera
Arrangements have been made to lay Sgt. Alex Hamzy and Lieutenant Dustin DeMonte to rest.
Updated: Oct. 18, 2022 at 5:51 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
The pain is still so fresh in Bristol, and it still ripples throughout the state.
Updated: Oct. 17, 2022 at 7:08 AM EDT
|By Dennis Valera, Audrey Russo and Rob Polansky
Law enforcement agencies from around Connecticut stepped up to help the Bristol Police Department in the wake of last week’s deadly ambush on officers.
Updated: Oct. 14, 2022 at 7:44 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
When tragedy hits home for police in Connecticut, the police community statewide comes together to help each other heal.
Updated: Oct. 12, 2022 at 11:47 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera, Evan Sobol, Dylan Fearon and Eliza Kruczynski
Jurors have reached a verdict in the Alex Jones trial.
Updated: Oct. 10, 2022 at 6:30 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
For breast cancer patients, breast reconstruction can be a big part of treatment.
Updated: Oct. 7, 2022 at 8:30 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
Some retailers have announced they’ll be hiring 100,000 or more workers for the holiday season. Not everyone’s taking the same approach.
Updated: Oct. 6, 2022 at 6:45 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
Alex Jones’ defamation trial in Connecticut is nearing its end.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 7:09 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
“Obviously being in Connecticut, dealing with past storms here, you kind of have an idea, but I don’t think the pictures did it justice to be honest with you. Lot of devastation, lot of, you could just tell, heartache,” said Chris Duncan, Transport Manager.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 12:05 AM EDT
|By Evan Sobol and Dennis Valera
A 17-year-old is dead after a shooting in Waterbury Tuesday night.
Updated: Oct. 4, 2022 at 7:30 PM EDT
|By Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ second defamation trial has entered week four.
Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 at 4:56 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Police departments across the Naugatuck Valley continue to look for a man they say is behind multiple armed robberies.
Updated: Sep. 30, 2022 at 9:41 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
A series of burglaries in Naugatuck has police on alert and looking for three suspects.
Updated: Sep. 28, 2022 at 7:51 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
Empty shelves have become a common sight at Waterbury’s ShopRite.
Updated: Sep. 27, 2022 at 10:55 AM EDT
|By Olivia Kalentek, Jay Kenney, Marcy Jones, Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
Three Waterbury schools were the latest targets of a disturbing trend, authorities revealed.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022 at 5:31 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera
It’s been a week since Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico. The island is still cleaning up from the disaster.
Updated: Sep. 23, 2022 at 12:44 PM EDT
|By Audrey Russo, Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is set to take the stand once again on Monday in Waterbury Superior Court.
Updated: Sep. 22, 2022 at 10:07 AM EDT
|By Roger Susanin, Rob Polansky, Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
Jones took the stand in front of dozens of family members of Sandy Hook victims, some of whom have testified in this trial.
Updated: Sep. 21, 2022 at 12:16 PM EDT
|By Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones planned a news conference on Wednesday afternoon as his defamation trial in Waterbury continues.
Updated: Sep. 20, 2022 at 11:29 AM EDT
|By Roger Susanin, Rob Polansky, Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
The well-known conspiracy theorist showed up to Waterbury Superior Court for the first time on Tuesday morning.
Updated: Sep. 19, 2022 at 5:58 PM EDT
|By Dennis Valera and Evan Sobol
As Hurricane Fiona’s destructive path continues into the Dominican Republic, many in Puerto Rico are still dealing with the hurricane’s wrath.
Updated: Sep. 19, 2022 at 9:54 AM EDT
|By Rob Polansky and Dennis Valera
A former interim chief in New Haven has taken on the role of deputy chief in Watertown.
Updated: Sep. 14, 2022 at 9:47 AM EDT
|By Dennis Valera, Rob Polansky and Dylan Fearon
More witnesses are expected to take the stand in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s second trial.
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