ONE OF THREE 16-YEAR-OLD BOYS REMAINED UNCONSCIOUS

One of three 16-year-old boys remained unconscious at Danbury Hospital
last night after swallowing an unknown substance yesterday afternoon.

Police, fire and medical personnel responded to a 12:58 p.m. call from
Armand Road where the boys were found unconscious at the entrance to
the recreational area of West Mountain Estates.

"We don't know the circumstances behind what happened," said Police
Capt. Donald Monckton.

David Grover, of Oreneca Road, remained unconscious last night. His
friends, Andrew Pitre, of Eleven Levels Road, and James O'Conner, of
Taporneck Court, were conscious.

All were being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit last
night, Monckton said.

The police department called in the state's Major Crime Squad to
process evidence at the scene.

"The crime squad is here because this is their expertise," Monckton
said. "We need to determine what the substance was and how they got
it."

"We did send a sample to the hospital," Monckton said.

The boys were found in and around a blue Chevy station wagon parked in
front of gates leading to the recreation center, which offers tennis,
pool and a playground.

Police Major John Roche said the boys were found surrounded by a
considerable amount of vomit.

"We don't know the substance they ingested," Monckton said.
"Hopefully, they'll survive this, but at this point we don't know. So
we'll treat it as a crime for now."

"You treat it as the worst-case scenario and work your way back," he
added.

The three attended school in the morning and were out of classes early
because final exams are being taken this week.

"Students are only required to be in school during their final exams,"
said high school principal Joseph Ellis.