MERIDEN, CT (WFSB) -
A woman accused of killing her boyfriend in February has been arrested and faced a judge Thursday afternoon.
Melissa Ziemba was arrested Wednesday night at her Middletown home.
Police said Richard West, 48, of 76 Olive St. was found unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest around 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 3.
Meriden police said they received several 911 calls regarding a shooting, and when officers arrived, that's when they found West inside his first-floor apartment.
The state medical examiner's officer determined that West's death was a homicide.
Police said Ziemba told them that West had shot himself. However after a lengthy investigation, police said it was Ziemba who killed West.
Ziemba was charged with murder and criminal use of a firearm. Police said she was living with West at the time of his death. She is being held on $750,000 bond.
In 2012, three people have been killed on Oliver Street including a double homicide in August, which is still unsolved. Residents are still worried about suspects being on the loose and believe it could be gang-related.
"It's scary," said Danely Vargas of Meriden. "To maybe have to live in some town with a killer and knowing it happened right outside my house."
And Vargas is not the only Meriden resident who is uncomfortable with the double homicide.
"Somebody could kill two people and get away with it on a street like this where everybody always outside and has kids and everything," said Dominique Elliott of Meriden. "It's sad."
Anyone with any information is asked to call Meriden police at 203-630-6201.
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Melissa Ziemba
