Connecticut State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

Connecticut State Police Patch STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Department of Public Safety
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, Connecticut 06457		  
Contact: 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2008
               Arrest Made in Arson Fires in Chaplin, Mansfield and Tolland
   On Friday February 29, 2008, at 10:02 am, State Police Detectives assigned to the Eastern District Major Crime Squad arrested Thomas M. Nedweden (DOB: 03-04-1980),currently incarcerated with the Department of Correction on five counts of Arson in the Third Degree and two counts of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree.
   The suspect’s arrest stems from lengthy criminal investigations conducted by State Police Detectives from the Eastern District Major Crime Squad from Troop C in Tolland and Troop D in Danielson, along with Resident State Troopers from Mansfield and Chaplin, Police Officers from the Town of Mansfield, Detectives from the Bureau of the State Fire Marshal, and fire officials from Mansfield, Ashford, Chaplin and Hampton.
   On February 5, 2008, Thomas Nedweden was arrested on a warrant by State Police Major Crime Detectives for a separate barn fire that took place in the early morning hours of February 3, 2008, at 49 Old Kings Highway in Hampton, CT. Nedweden has been held on bond with the Department of Correction since this arrest.
   On February 26 and 28, 2008, arrest warrants were issued for Nedweden for his involvement in a series of fires in the towns of Mansfield, Ashford and Chaplin, CT that took place in October of 2006.
   State Police Detectives submitted arrest warrants to Superior Courts in Windham and Tolland for Nedweden’s arrest regarding other fires that took place in October 2006. As a result of an extensive investigation and coordinated efforts between investigators, arrest warrants were issued charging Nedweden with the following:
  • Arson 3rd Degree for a barn burned down on Mt. Hope Road in Mansfield on October 10, 2006.
  • Arson 3rd Degree for a hunting lodge burned down on Tower Hill Road Cutoff in Chaplin on October 11, 2006.
  • Arson 3rd Degree for a chicken coop fire at 863 Warrenville Road in Mansfield on October 12, 2006.
  • Arson 3rd Degree /Criminal Mischief 1St Degree for an outbuilding and several small grass fires at 971-973 Route 89 in Mansfield on October 25, 2006.
  • Arson 3rd Degree /Criminal Mischief 1St Degree for a storage barn burned down at 35 Pompey Hollow Road Ashford on October 30, 2006.
  Thomas M. Nedweden was arrested on February 29, 2008, at 10:00 am at the Danielson Superior Court on these warrants. He was processed at court and held for arraignment.
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