Crime & Safety

Detective Honored for Catching Accused Murderer

Middletown detective caught the suspect accused of murdering East Haven resident Antoinette Venditti Bruce.

The New England Association of Chiefs’ of Police and the Medal of Valor Award Program have notified the that Detective Walter C. Mey Jr. has been chosen to receive the prestigious award, according to an announcement released by Middletown Police Chief Anthony Pesare.

In a letter from the Association, Chief Kevin J. Hale, awards committee chairman wrote, “The actions of this officer on March 29, 2011 were outstanding. This officer acted without hesitation and without regard for his own safety in trying to find and save a gravely injured and kidnapped woman. Without wasting a moment’s time, this officer heroically chased and then caught a dangerous felon, all the while trying to find the victim to render aid. Tragically, his effort and that of his fellow officers to save the victim was to no avail.”

Detective Mey will be honored on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 at the annual banquet of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police, at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Mass.

Find out what's happening in East Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Detective Mey chased down through a farm field and apprehended murder suspect Zachary J. Lepelusa, of Milford, on March 29 after Lepelusa allegedly murdered and kidnapped 35-year-old of East Haven, in broad daylight outside a hotel in Middletown, where she was staying while in Rhode Island on company business.

The death of Vendetti Bruce devasted her family, who recalled her .

Find out what's happening in East Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“If someone was in the hospital, she was the first one there to visit. If someone was sick, she was there to do whatever was needed, even in the middle of the night,” her husband, Christopher, recalled. “And she took such good care of me. She was an excellent cook and, boy, she loved to clean house. She kept me organized.”

According to Anna Albe, her sister, “Our parents raised us to be sheltered little girls. But Antoinette was so full of life. She wanted to try everything. She loved to dance, to go to concerts, to drive her Honda, to ride Harleys – to laugh at everything.”

Lepelusa has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony count of kidnapping. His case currently is being reviewed by a Grand Jury, with investigators hoping for the indictment to be handed down before the end of September.

Bruce and Lepelusa worked together in Connecticut at the Christmas Tree Shops store, in Orange but further details about their interactions in and out of work remain under investigation, according to Middletown police. Lepelusa no longer worked for the company at the time of the murder. Bruce was in Middletown for two weeks to assist in a temporary retail reconfiguration project at the local Christmas Tree Shops store on East Main Road.

The first-degree murder charge alleges that Lepelusa had intended, or premeditated, the attack on Bruce when he met with her in the hotel parking lot and stabbed her to death.

Mary Athey contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.