A Connecticut man accused of beating his former mother-in-law to death with a baseball bat has been charged with murder, police announced Tuesday.
Ylli Shtopaku, of Norwalk, is accused of attacking 70-year-old Lida Shape on Monday as she returned to her home at an apartment complex in Trumbull, a town in southwestern Connecticut about 20 miles from New Haven.
The 45-year-old suspect “confronted several women” outside the main entrance of the property, Trumbull police said in a statement late Monday night.
Officers arrived at the scene around 4 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls about what appeared to be a domestic incident.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect, later identified as Shtopaku, grabbed a bat from his vehicle following a brief argument with the women before chasing them and “striking one who fell to the ground.”
Local news reports identified the weapon as a baseball bat.
Multiple victims were transported to Saint Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, police said.
Shtopaku was arrested Monday night on domestic-related assault charges.
On Tuesday, officials announced that Shtopaku had been charged with murdering Shape, whom investigators said he had “specifically targeted.”
The two were formerly related, according to police. However, that relationship ended several years ago “due to a divorce in the family.”
Local news outlets have identified the victim as Shtopaku’s former mother-in-law.
Shtopaku was charged with murder and is being held on a $3 million bond pending an arraignment in Bridgeport Superior Court, officials said Tuesday.
The attack remains under investigation as detectives continue to interview family members and witnesses. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Trumbull Police at (203) 261-3665.
