By Christine Dempsey
The Hartford Courant
SHELTON, Conn. — A 52-year-old man charged with murdering his wife during a weekend argument is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Thomas Infante of Hickory Lane remained in custody overnight on $500,000 bail and was headed to Superior Court in Derby, they said.
Police say he shot and killed his wife of 27 years, Lisa Infante, also 52, during an argument Sunday night. They were going through a divorce. Two of their children were home at the time, according to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Thomas Infante fled after the shooting but later turned himself in, police said. He turns 53 on Thursday.
Officers were sent to the Infante home at 7 Hickory Lane about 9:30 p.m. Sunday for a report of a sudden death. They found the body of Lisa Infante.
On Monday, police reported that they were searching for the husband, saying he was a “strong person of interest” in the killing. They said he was believed to be armed and dangerous.
He ended up turning himself in.
Thomas and Lisa Infante co-own the four-bedroom, 3,724-square-foot house, according to assessment records and Zillow, a real estate website.
She was a nutritionist, a yoga instructor and an emergency medical technician with Echo Hose Ambulance. Originally from Monroe, Lisa Intante studied sociology at Sacred Heart University, according to her Facebook page.
“Lisa was one of the best,” Michael Chaffee, the ambulance corp’s chief of service, told Fox CT News. “Just a great member. Very loving, very giving.”
Echo Hose Hook and Ladder stands with area emergency service personnel in mourning the loss of Lisa Infante and would...
Posted by Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co. 1 on Monday, September 28, 2015
Her death was the fourth intimate partner homicide in the state this year, according to Karen Jarmoc, president and CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“We are particularly concerned that two of the couple’s children were present at the time of the homicide. Children, no matter how old, are vulnerable to significant trauma when they witness one parent kill another. How the system responds to them following this tragedy will be critical to their ability to cope with the loss.” The Connecticut General Assembly is studying the issue of children exposed to family violence through a task force established earlier this year.
Jarmoc said the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when she or he takes steps to end an abusive relationship. This is a period in which the abusive partner is losing control over the victim and may take more extreme steps to regain that control, she said.
“It is imperative that we do better as a state to fund public awareness campaigns that let all victims know where confidential and free help can be found throughout the state.” Jarmoc said.
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