New Haven firefighter charged in domestic violence incident

The New Haven Fire Department headquarters on Grand Avenue. The New Haven Fire Department headquarters on Grand Avenue. Photo: Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close New Haven firefighter charged in domestic violence incident 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — City firefighter Marcos Demelo was arrested Wednesday after an alleged domestic violence incident, according to court records.

Demelo, 39, of Branford, is charged with second-degree breach of peace, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening and third-degree strangulation, according to court records.

The charges were imposed after Officer Sean M. Rubano and three other officers responded when an individual called police to report they heard “a woman screaming for help outside her residence,” in Branford, according to a police report

Demelo told police he and the other individual involved in the altercation had gone to a bar in New Haven, then began to argue. Identifying information about the other individual involved in the altercation is redacted in court records.

According to the police report, the other party said Demelo had seen something on their cell phone that angered him, then threatened to kill them, threw them to the floor, and wrapped his hand around their neck until they said they could not breathe. Demelo also allegedly said “I’m going to shoot you,” to the other person, the report says.

The person said they had screamed for help during the incident.

As an explanation, Demelo said that “(the other party) gets violent when (they drink) but did not offer any other explanation,” Rubano said in the report.

Demelo, initially held in lieu of $20,000 bail, was later released on a promise to appear and scheduled to appear in court Aug. 8, according to court records.

Fire Chief John Alston said the department had been informed of Demelo’s arrest.

Demelo was already on administrative leave at the time of the incident in connection with another matter currently under investigation by New Haven police, Alston said.

Alston said an internal investigation regarding the arrest will be conducted.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com