Suspect still at large in shooting, home invasion

Local police close off Rte 133 at the intersection of Main Street S ( Rte 133) and Stuart Road E and Stuart Road W, in Bridgewater. Main Street S was close traffic because of an investigation into a reported shooting and home invasion early Thursday morning. August, 4, 2016, in Bridgewater, Conn. Rte 133 is also closed to thru traffic because of scheduled construction. less Local police close off Rte 133 at the intersection of Main Street S ( Rte 133) and Stuart Road E and Stuart Road W, in Bridgewater. Main Street S was close traffic because of an investigation into a reported ... more Photo: H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Suspect still at large in shooting, home invasion 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

The search is continuing this morning for a suspect in the home invasion Thursday that left a Bridgewater resident recovering from a gunshot wound and stunned the normally placid, rural town.

The focus of the investigation has turned to two stolen cars, one of which was recovered in Waterbury and the other in New York state, said Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, the state police spokeswoman.

State police say the suspect is described as a light-skinned white or Hispanic male. No further description was given.

State Police tactical units arrived in Bridgewater before dawn on Thursday after receiving a 911 call from a woman in the South Main Street home, reporting that her husband had been shot by an intruder.

The house sits on Route 133 near the Lake Lillinonah bridge — a heavily wooded area dotted with historic homes, rolling meadows and bright red barns from the town’s agricultural roots along the Housatonic River.

“It’s very seldom that anything like this happens in Bridgewater,” said John Mash, a volunteer with the local fire department. “It’s such a quiet town. Thank God it didn’t happen during the Bridgewater County Fair.”

The fair, a popular annual event located just a few miles from the site of the home invasion, is scheduled to start Aug. 19 and typically attracts thousands of families and visitors from the region to this rural and affluent town, which has a population of fewer than 1,800.

Authorities said witnesses heard shots fired near the home before a car sped off around 3:30 a.m.

One man who was in the home at the time was shot in the shoulder and was taken to Danbury Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

While police thought at least one suspect was armed and hiding in the woods surrounding the home, nobody was discovered after an exhaustive search that stretched well into the afternoon. A shotgun was discovered near the residence, police said.

The incident began when a car police think may have been stolen from New York state was observed by a New Milford police officer driving at a high rate of speed along Route 7. The driver refused to stop for officers, who followed for a time, but then terminated the pursuit.

Local police confirmed the car, a Subaru Forester, was found at the Bridgewater residence where the home invasion occurred. Another vehicle was reported stolen from a driveway in the Bridgewater neighborhood around the time of the shooting was found hours later in the north end of of Waterbury, an area known for its high crime rate.

Bridgewater town officials said the car fleeing from police officers in New Milford approached a construction roadblock on South Main Street and pulled into the nearest driveway, the victims,’ attempting to switch vehicles.

Authorities said a state police cruiser likely was stationed at the roadblock for traffic duty and might have spooked the driver. The road has been closed since early last month for utility work.

“At least we have some peace of mind knowing it was not a target, but bad luck that the escape route came through our town,’’ Selectman Alan Brown said.

According to local property records, the home on Main Street South is owned by Victor Compe, a former Stamford paramedic, and Samantha Moore, a retired police officer.

Compe and Moore had been active lately when the town — the last dry town in Connecticut — was considering ending its ban on alcohol sales three years ago.

The couple said at the time they they had seen the fatal results of drinking and driving too many times. The town voted to overturn the ban.

“People don’t realize what their tolerances are and when they’ve crossed that line,” Compe told The News-Times in November, 2013.

“My wife and I have seen the serious ramifications of drinking. There’s no reason to take any steps to promote them happening here.”

No suspects had been taken into custody by late Thursday.

dperrefort@newstimes.com