Man accused of killing wife after ‘violent struggle' and shooting in New Hartford

A man is accused of killing his wife after a "violent struggle" and shooting in New Hartford over the weekend.

Troopers received a 911 call reporting an active disturbance at a home in New Hartford on Saturday around 11:30 a.m. The caller reported seeing a person on the ground in the area where they believed the disturbance was.

New Hartford officers and Connecticut State Police troopers arrived to the home a few minutes later and found a woman lying in the driveway with an apparent gunshot wound. She was later pronounced dead.

Investigators said they saw a man, later identified as 50-year-old Efrain Vazquez, exit the home then re-enter the home. Vazquez, who is identified in a police report as the woman's husband, reportedly closed the door after encountering police at the scene and did not listen to directives to leave the home.

Police disengaged from the home before re-approaching the home a short time later. Vazquez was then detained.

According to police, Vazquez appeared to be experiencing a medical issue. He was transported to an area medical facility for an evaluation and treatment.

When police checked the inside of the home, they said they saw signs consistent with a violent struggle. They added that blood was also seen on Vazquez's clothing.

An arrest warrant was granted for Vazquez and he was arrested on Sunday after being discharged from the medical facility where he was receiving treatment.

He was transported to Torrington Police Department and is facing charges including murder, tampering with physical evidence, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm.

Vazquez was in court on Monday where he was ordered to surrender all guns. The judge said Vazquez poses a serious safety risk and kept his bond at $3 million. He will be in court again on November 14.

Aside from this case, officials in court said Vazquez has multiple pending cases, several convictions and a lengthy criminal history.