Naugatuck Woman Set Fire to Business in Prospect; Potato Plays Key Role in Her Arrest: State Police

Willow A. Martin, 19, and Breonna Constantino, both of Naugatuck, were best friends who happened to work at the same strip club in Southington.

Things deteriorated quickly. One day while on vacation in New Jersey, Martin loaned Constantino $1,200 for clothes, and Breonna never paid her back.

This set off a series of criminal acts that led Martin to allegedly set fire to Constantino’s stepfather’s business in Prospect in September 2015, according to an affidavit released by Connecticut State Police this week.

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After the fire, Martin drove to Constantino's mother's house for months and threw small pieces of trash on their lawn and may also have been responsible for smashed pumpkins there, according to the affidavit.

The Potato Solves the Case

Connecticut State Police say it was DNA on a potato stuffed inside a tailpipe of a van belonging to Constantino's stepfather, who owned MTM Masonry Inc., that really cracked the case and led to Martin’s arrest and her former boyfriend, Matthew Garguilo, 28, a known heroin dealer in the borough, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

This may all seem like something taken from a plot of a movie, but Connecticut State Police say all of the above is true in a multi-page arrest warrant affidavit.

The Arson Fire

State Police said on Sept. 15, 2015 at 5 a.m., Troop I in Bethany received a complaint of a commercial structure fire at 14 Waterbury Road in Prospect.

Firefighters extinguished the fire that damaged two businesses, Golden Wok Chinese and MTM Masonry Inc. The building had to be taken down. No one was injured during the fire.

Garguilo, who was with Martin at the time of the blaze, told investigators that Martin went to the business with a can of gas and poured it all over the place, the affidavit states. Martin was angry that Constantino never paid her back, the affidavit states.

The force of the fire caused Martin to pass out briefly as Garguilo waited outside the business.

He said Martin got blown out of the back door of the business after it went up in flames, and it eerily resembled what happens in Hollywood movies, the affidavit states.

After the fire, Garguilo and Martin drove back to a house where Martin gave Garguilo a high-five and said "yeah,” Garguilo told investigators, according to the affidavit.

The Falling Out

Martin and Constantino were best friends, and Martin loaned her $1,200 to buy clothes when they were in New Jersey, according to the affidavit.

Constantino told investigators she didn’t pay Martin back. Soon both girls couldn’t work the same shift at the strip club anymore because the animosity was so strong, the affidavit states.

Constantino told police that Martin had allegedly set fire at her mother’s house in Naugatuck earlier when she was mad at her, the affidavit states.

Naugatuck fire officials determined the fire at Constantino’s mother’s house was an electrical fire, the affidavit states.

After the Prospect arson fire, Martin allegedly was driving past Constantino’s mother’s house and dropping pieces of small trash on the lawn.

On one occasion, the mother spotted Martin and told her to stop, and Martin replied, “I put the trash where it belongs,” according to the affidavit.

Martin also allegedly told people, “I’ll burn their (expletive) down” when she’s mad at them, the affidavit states.

Garguilo told authorities that Martin was “crazy” and had set her parents' house on fire before, the affidavit states.

Garguilo stressed to investigators that while he was with Martin during the fire he remained outside and was not involved, the affidavit states.

Martin, 19, of Millville Avenue is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond on arson, burglary and criminal mischief charges.

See also:

• Pastor Charged with Sexual Assault of Minor; Pair Arrested in Golf Club-Swinging Incident; Fawn Rescued: CT News