A 28-year-old Waterbury man who was killed in a crash on Queen Street in Southington Thursday morning died of a gunshot wound and his death has been ruled a homicide, according to police.
Police said they have arrested a Meriden man who they believe might be connected, and part of the road is closed as officers investigate.
Officers responded to the crash early Thursday morning, just after midnight, and found that the driver had hit a telephone pole in front of Noodles & Company at 842 Queen St.
The driver, Jose Principe, 28, of Waterbury, was brought to an area hospital, where he died, police said.
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While he was being treated at an area hospital, medical providers found that Principe had been shot in the back and police said they do not know if it was a contributing factor related to the crash.
Police said during a news conference on Thursday afternoon that the Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and found Principe died of a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled his death a homicide.
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Police said they arrested a 43-year-old Meriden man in the area who they believe might have a connection to the incident. He was initially held on a $750,000 bond and charged with criminal possession of a pistol and interfering with officers.
Police said he was seen walking away from the scene and officers detained him. While he was detained, he was argumentative and resisted officers' attempts to gather information and detain him, police said.
In court, bond was set at $350,000. The suspect is due back in court on Nov. 11.
Police are investigating the homicide and ask anyone with information to call Southington Police at (860) 621-0101.
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