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Windham County resident James Zigadlo of Ashford was arrested on Friday, July 19 on an arrest warrant issued in connection with an incident in June 2023, Connecticut State Police announced on Wednesday, July 31.
According to the State Police, on June 12, 2023, just after 1 a.m., a trooper responded to Davis Place Rehabilitation on Westcott Road in Killingly after a worker reported a suspicious vehicle.
The trooper arrived at the facility and found a yellow Nissan Sentra. When he parked his cruiser behind the vehicle, which was occupied by a man with long dark hair and a dark beard, it suddenly began to drive in reverse, almost hitting the trooper in the process, police said.
The Nissan then sped over a curb and led troopers on multiple chases before it was finally found in Plainfield several hours later. Zigadlo was later identified as the driver, according to authorities.
Later that same night, around 3:45 a.m., the Ashford Fire Department responded to a blaze at 80 Bicknell Rd., which was determined to be Zigadlo's home.
Hours after the fire, police found Zigadlo's unoccupied Nissan with flat tires in the area of Green Hollow Road in Plainfield. Troopers found that the car was unlocked with the keys inside and found an empty Winchester firearms box in the trunk. After determining that Zigadlo owned two registered firearms, a .243 caliber rifle and a 12 gauge shotgun, troopers surmised that he was armed and dangerous.
As authorities searched the area for Zigadlo, a bus driver stopped and told police that she had seen a man fitting his description walking nearby on Roper Road. When troopers traveled there, they found Zigadlo hiding behind a tree off the shoulder just east of the Interstate 395 overpass, police said.
Troopers then took Zigadlo into custody and found that he had his firearms with him, including his shotgun which had been loaded with ammunition.
While police read Zigadlo his rights during his arrest, he told police he would be willing to answer questions. He then explained to them that he had been upset with what he believed to be the mistreatment of his mother at Davis Place before her death, and added that he had intentionally set his apartment on fire, according to state police.
He also admitted that he went to Davis Place as part of a plan to use his firearms on workers because he "wanted revenge," according to his arrest warrant.
While he was taken to police headquarters, Zigadlo also told troopers that he had intended to do assisted suicide by cop and point his weapons at police to get them to shoot him, the warrant said.
In addition to his weapons, Zigadlo also brought a cell phone, a power drill, and some toilet paper with him during the plot because of his irritable bowel syndrome, police wrote in the warrant, adding that he had expected to have a "long engagement" with authorities at Davis Place and had wanted to have toilet paper for it.
The warrant also said Zigadlo sat in the parking lot for around two hours while he struggled with the morals of killing people.
Zigadlo was initially arrested in June 2023 following the incident and has since remained in the custody of the Department of Correction. Following his latest arrest, he was charged with:
- Three counts of criminal attempt to commit assault on a public safety official;
- Criminal use of a weapon;
- Three counts of first-degree criminal attempt to commit assault.
Zigadlo was issued a $500,000 bond and turned over to the Judicial Marshals for arraignment, police said, adding that the investigation into Zigadlo's alleged activities is still ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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