SOUTHINGTON, CT  --  A 21-year-old New Britain resident was charged Monday with fatally shooting another man inside the victim's apartment during a date arranged Christmas Eve after the two had met online, police said Monday.

Marcos Mercado, 21, is charged with murder, felony murder, first-degree robbery and possession of an assault rifle in the killing of Thomas Szadkowski, 41, who was found dead from a single gunshot wound to his head inside his Academy Street apartment, Courant.com reports.

Mercado, who is being held on a $2 million bond, was linked to the murder through information police gathered from the victim's computer.

When police searched Mercado's apartment, they recovered an assault rifle which they suspect may be the murder weapon.

Police believe Mercado killed Szadkowski some time late on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas Day. Szadkowski's partially-burned body was found inside his apartment dec. 26 by police after a co-worker at a Bank of America call center contacted authorities when Szadkowski failed to show up for work.

Mercado will be arraigned in superior court in Bristol on Wednesday.

Southington police said information on the victim's computer provided crucial evidence about the online meeting of the two and the plans they made.

"It was decided that Mercado would go over to Szadkowski's apartment for a date and then something obviously went terribly wrong," department spokesman Sgt. Lowell DePalma said.

He said the two apparently got into an argument. Mercado then got an assault rifle out of his car, went back into the apartment and shot Szadkowski in the head, DePalma said.

Mercado then set Szadkowski's body on fire, DePalma said. Although there were burns on Szadkowski's body there was no serious damage to the apartment and the fire never became widespread enough to alert neighbors to what was happening.

Last update: 01-02-2008 14:55

Posted by nbgirl, on 02-01-2008 00:16, 1. disturbed I went to school with him and honestly we had lots of gay pride events and I fully supported them and if he did this I think he deserves to rott in prison for the rest of his life. Way to bring bad publicity the town.   » Report this comment to administrator