SHELTON — Two city men were charged with arson and burglary in connection to a house fire in December 2024.
Joseph Laptina, 25, is charged with first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny and third-degree criminal mischief. He was arrested Nov. 3.
Daniel Champagne, 26, faces the same charges. He was arrested Nov. 4.
According to a press release from Shelton police, Laptina and Champagne were both at the scene of a fire at a residence on Village Drive on Dec. 6, 2024. The two allegedly said they were driving by and saw the fire.
The residence had caught fire the day before after an electrical short in a bathroom exhaust fan, leaving the home uninhabitable.
Authorities quickly determined the second blaze was intentionally set.
As the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire progressed, authorities learned that personal belongings were missing from the residence, according to police.
Those missing items included jewelry, women’s clothes, and other personal items.
Police eventually met the probable cause threshold to get a search warrant for the vehicles belonging to Laptina and Champagne.
Authorities allege the search revealed some of the missing items were found in those vehicles.
The statement from police did not include information on how the fire was allegedly set, but notes additional interviews were conducted and two arrests warrants were obtained.
Laptina is free on a $100,000 bond pending a Nov. 24 court date in Superior Court in Derby.
Champagne is free on a $100,000 bond pending a Dec. 9 court date, also in Derby.