On 11/03/2025, Shelton Police arrested 25-year-old Joseph Lapinta of Shelton and charged him with Arson 1st Degree, Burglary 1st Degree, Larceny 6th Degree, and Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree. Lapinta posted a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Derby Superior Court on 11/24/2025.
On 11/04/2025, Shelton Police arrested 26-year-old Daniel Champagne of Shelton on the same charges. Champagne posted a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Derby Superior Court on 12/09/2025.
The arrests stem from an incident on 12/06/2024, when the Shelton Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Village Drive. The home had already suffered a separate accidental fire days earlier and was unoccupied. Firefighters and police encountered Champagne and Lapinta at the scene; the pair claimed they were driving by and noticed the fire.
The Shelton Police Detective Bureau, with assistance from the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigative Unit and the Shelton Fire Marshal’s Office, investigated the blaze. Detectives discovered that multiple pieces of jewelry, personal information, women’s clothing, and undergarments were missing from the home. These items were later recovered during search warrants on both suspects’ vehicles. Additional interviews and warrants led to arrest warrants being issued for Lapinta and Champagne.