Smiling Ex-Boyfriend Holding Gun Sends Selfie to Ex-Girlfriend: East Haven Police

EAST HAVEN, CT — Police say an ex-boyfriend went to his ex-girlfriend's place of work in Branford, caused a scene and then sent a selfie picture of himself smiling and holding a gun to her, East Haven police said.

And when police went to find him they say they found him and several others in a place full of dense pot smoke and a baby and a 4-year-old child were present and needed to be removed from the area for their own health, police said in a news release.

The East Haven Police Department reports several arrests stemming from a threatening complaint that was received on Feb. 26. The complainant, who came to police headquarters, stated that her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, identified as Nicholas Gambardella, 21, sent her a text message depicting him smiling while holding what appeared to be a firearm pointed at the camera, police said in a news release.

The alleged text message was sent after Gambardella went to his ex-girlfriend’s place of employment in Branford and caused a scene there with several friends, police said. After leaving Branford, the complainant states Gambardella and a group of his friends showed up at her house yelling profanities at her from the street, police said.

The complainant stated that Gambardella left the area only after she threatened to call the police on him, and received a text message shortly after with him pointing a gun at the camera with a message written across the screen, police said.

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An arrest warrant charging Gambardella with first-degree threatening was applied for and issued and contact was made with him at his residence, police said. When officers went to the front door to speak with Gambardella, a large amount of marijuana smoke emanated from the residence, police said.

It was determined that there were several other individuals within, including young children ranging from 3 months to fourteen years old, police said. Officers felt the amount of smoke contained in the residence was harmful to the children so arrangements were made for them to leave the house, police said.

In addition to Nicholas Gambardella being charged with first-degree threatening, he was charged with four counts of risk of injury to a minor. The following were arrested on four counts of risk of injury to a minor:

• Lisa Avery 10/29/1975

(Avery was also arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for failure to pay or plead)

• William Flynn 10/21/1991
• Anna Zito 11/19/1996
• William Phelmetta 05/15/1991

(Phelmetta was also arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for failure to appear in the second degree.)

Photos below: First to Last: Gambardella, Avery, Zito, Flynn, and Phelmetta is last.

All photos via East Haven Police Department