Newly released court records suggest revenge may have been behind a deadly home invasion and shooting at a couple’s residence in a quiet Connecticut beach community, according to a report.
Police said 69-year-old Frederick Werner was discovered dead inside the East Broadway home in Milford with multiple gunshot wounds. His partner was also shot in the head and continues to recover from her injuries.
Ivan Barias-Florimon, 24, and Stuar Lopez-Reyes, 25, have been arrested in connection with the June 3 attack. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to News Outlet that both suspects are Dominican nationals.
Police responded on June 3 to a shooting report in the 800 block of East Broadway in Milford, Connecticut, where Frederick Werner, 69, was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. (WTIC, Prospect Memorial Funeral & Cremation Services)
An unsealed arrest warrant says the surviving female victim told investigators she had recently terminated an employee and believed the firing may have been connected to the violent attack, CT Insider reported.
The woman told investigators she suspected the former employee had been stealing money from her real estate business.
U.S. Marshals arrested the second suspect accused in the targeted Milford home invasion that left a 69-year-old man dead, ending a two-month manhunt. (WTIC)
According to the warrant, text messages between the fired employee and Barias-Florimon allegedly showed he reacted with anger after the termination. The nature of the relationship between the two remains unclear.
CT Insider reported the fired employee texted Barias-Florimon that her boss is “going to make my life hell,” the woman texted.
Barias-Florimon responded and said, “I’ll make her life hell,” the warrant said.
Two people walk along the beach during an unseasonably warm fall day at Walnut Beach at Milford on Nov. 6, 2024. (Arnold Gold/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)
More texts reveal he also allegedly texted the woman, “[just] say the word” and “[I’ll] **** her lifee OVERRRRRR,” the warrant said.
As for the other suspect, Lopez-Reyes, the victim reportedly told investigators that she was fearful of him and was able to identify him as the other suspect seen inside the home, as captured on video surveillance, according to the warrant.
Both suspects are facing charges including murder and assault on an elderly person in connection with the incident. Both await upcoming court appearances as they sit in jail.
DHS previously confirmed to News Outlet that the agency is seeking to revoke the green cards of the two suspects.
