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Matthew Christopher Ilchert, 35, of 117 Rowayton Ave., will be charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, carrying a gun without a permit, three counts of reckless endangerment, reckless driving and second-degree breach of peace in Connecticut in the incident.
He was held Tuesday in New York State after his arrest there after crashing his car Monday near Westchester County Airport. He will have to be extradited to Connecticut to face these new charges. The arrest warrant has been approved with a court-set bond of $150,000.
The incident began when Ilchert, a convicted felon, confronted a man at a Stonehedge Drive South in Greenwich with whom he had been arguing for several days, police said. Police described the two men as close acquaintances.
Upon his arrival at the victim’s residence on Monday, Ilchert placed a metal oxygen bottle on the pillar in front of the man's house and discharged a pistol at the tank, police said.
Investigators believe his intent was to make the oxygen bottle explode, police said. However, the round did not penetrate the tank nor did the tank explode. At the time of the shooting, there were two other people near the altercation, but they not injured by the ricocheting round, police said.
Ilchert then fled the scene, striking the victim with his car and causing a minor injury to the victim, police said. A short time later, Ilchert crashed his vehicle just outside of Westchester County Airport in New York State.
Ilchert was arrested at the scene by Westchester County Police and was held at Westchester County Correctional Facility on New York State charges.
In New York, Ilchert was held on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, according to county police. An officer found a weapon on the ground near the car; it appeared to have been thrown out of the car by Ilchert, police said. After the accident, Ilchert was treated for minor injuries at the Westchester Medical Center.
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