March 6, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chief Erik Costa, 860-638-4100

Press Release - Arrest for Fire at 500 Washington St

On February 18, 2023 at approximately 10:36pm, Middletown Police Officers were called to an undisclosed unit on the property of 500 Washington Street for a domestic disturbance in a residential trailer. On arrival, a female victim exited the trailer to speak with the police. It was determined that a male inside the trailer, identified as 55-year-old Eugene E. Boudreau Jr., poured gasoline on the victim and the residence in an effort to light the victim and the trailer on fire.

Negotiations to get Boudreau to exit his unit failed and he lit the trailer on fire. Within a few minutes of the fire starting, Boudreau exited. Police attempted to negotiate his surrender from a safe distance. Boudreau turned himself over to perimeter officers but only after his trailer was fully engulfed in flames and a neighboring trailer was beginning to catch fire. Once Boudreau was detained, Middletown Fire Personnel entered the scene and extinguished the fires without incident or injury. Boudreau’s actions led to the destruction of his trailer, an adjacent trailer, and two motor vehicles nearby.   

Boudreau suffered burns on his body. He was transported to Middlesex Hospital and airlifted to Bridgeport Hospital’s burn unit for treatment. Boudreau was released from Bridgeport Hospital on March 8, 2023, turned over to the Middletown Police, and arrested on an active arrest warrant for this incident.

Boudreau was held on a court set $1,000,000 bond and charged with the following:

Arson 1^st Degree

Kidnapping 1^st Degree

Criminal Attempt to Commit Assault 1^st Degree

Reckless Endangerment 1^st Degree

Unlawful Restraint 1^st Degree

Threatening 1^st Degree

Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree

Breach of Peace 2^nd Degree

Disorderly Conduct

Boudreau was presented in court on March 6, 2023.