Man Charged With Murder In Fatal Shooting: Meriden Police

MERIDEN, CT — A man has been charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting in Meriden last week, police said in an update Wednesday.

A man was killed and a woman was injured in the shooting that happened around 6 p.m. on March 20 in the area of West Main Street and Lewis Avenue.

Police responded to a report of shots fired and found a man and a woman inside of a parked vehicle in the immediate area. A gun was also found inside the vehicle, according to police.

Both victims had apparent gunshot wounds and medical assistance was dispatched immediately, police said. Shawn Mojica died from his injuries at a nearby hospital, according to police. The woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries that police said weren’t life-threatening.

Police said the initial investigation developed a “person of interest” identified as 33-year-old Warren Watson, who was found in the 200 block of Grove Street. Officers determined that Watson also had a gunshot wound and he was taken to an area hospital for treatment, according to police.

“With the help of many members of the public and local businesses, Patrol officers and detectives were able to collect an abundance of video surveillance that allowed detectives to quickly piece together the series of events and gather evidence that lead to the death of Mojica,” police wrote in a news release.

Watson was arrested on a warrant March 23 and charged with murder. He is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections, according to police.

“The swiftness of this arrest is a testament to the collaboration between the public, the Meriden Probation Department, the State’s Attorney’s office in both New Haven and Meriden, the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Meriden Police Department,” police wrote.

Watson was charged with murder, first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal use of a firearm. He was being held in lieu of a $2.5 million bond.