TORRINGTON – A man from the area found himself in hot water on Friday after he was taken into custody for stealing a car shortly after a strange fire erupted at his residence on Migeon Avenue, according to police Captain Brett Johnson.
As the investigation unfolds, more charges and arrests are expected, Johnson mentioned. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported from the fire.
The individual, identified as 35-year-old Michael Szabo, now faces charges for motor vehicle theft.
The saga began Thursday night around 11:30 PM when the Torrington Fire Department was dispatched to the home on Migeon Avenue and discovered flames roaring on the second floor. Not long after that, officers received a report from a nearby resident on Prospect Street, claiming their vehicle had been stolen. Police managed to trace the stolen car to Route 8 south, close to Waterbury.
With backing from Waterbury and state law enforcement, the stolen vehicle was intercepted, and Szabo was arrested on Friday. He was subsequently arraigned in Superior Court, where his bond was set at a hefty $250,000.
Authorities are currently probing the cause of the fire, with investigations being conducted by the Torrington fire marshal’s office and the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
