Firehouse 'prank' leads to arrests

Waterford - A 14-year-old junior member of the Quaker Hill Fire Company was bound to a backboard, temporarily gagged with duct tape and shot with an air gun in a "prank" gone awry last September at the firehouse.

According to an arrest warrant, the victim's mother went to police on Sept. 29 to report that two days earlier her son was assaulted by various members of the department as well as a nonmember.

The victim said he was at the firehouse when he pulled a chair out from underneath Alexandra Tosi, who is not a member of the department but is the girlfriend of member Kyle Mordick. The victim said Tosi became angry and upset, the warrant said.

Several hours later, Fire Capt. Daniel O'Connor summoned the victim, and O'Connor, Lt. William Betters IV, Tosi, Mordick, a 17-year-old and two juveniles duct-taped and strapped the victim to a backboard, the warrant said.

The victim told police that he was taped from his chest to his knees. He said Tosi bound his hands with tape.

At one point during the attack, someone put tape over his mouth, which the victim was able to remove.

Once he was fully fastened to the backboard, the victim was carried outside and propped up against the front of the fire station. Everyone was outside with the exception of O'Connor, the warrant said.

The victim said the 17-year-old junior member shot him with the air gun in the leg. The teenager then handed the gun to the two other juveniles, who took turns shooting the victim. The victim said they shot him from about five feet away, the warrant said.

Member John Rwieczorek told the juveniles to stop, and the shooting ended, the warrant said.

The victim said he was "really mad" and started to "flip out" as Betters and Mordick began to remove his bonds. Betters told the victim "he had better calm down before he hurt himself," the warrant said.

The victim said Betters tried to justify the attack as hazing, while O'Connor referred to the incident as a "prank," the warrant said.

Mordick told the victim he still had tape all over his sweatshirt, which Mordick put into the washing machine.

O'Connor told the victim he wanted the 17-year-old and the two juveniles out of the fire department "because the whole thing could backfire."

Police observed multiple raised welts on the victim's right leg.

Police interviewed O'Connor, Betters, Mordick, Tosi, Rwieczorek and the two juveniles who corroborated the victim's claim that he was shot with the air gun.

When police interviewed O'Connor on Oct. 6 he said he was off-duty when the incident occurred.

He said he, along with Betters, Mordick and Tosi, conspired to "prank" the teenager. O'Connor said he interceded when Tosi tried to put tape over the victim's mouth.

He said he left the group for a while but later went outside when he learned other members had shot at the victim.

O'Connor said the victim was upset and crying and "still had the look of fear on his face," the warrant said.

O'Connor said he tried to reassure the victim and ordered the air gun out of the department, the warrant said.

Soon after the incident, Chief Matthew Carson said several junior and senior members were suspended. Carson could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The 17-year-old was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor. The teen was released on $30,000 bond and was due in court Wednesday.

The following were all charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor and were released on $500 bond and given court dates of Dec. 28: Mordick, 21, of 29 Richards Grove Road, Quaker Hill; Tosi, 22, of 24 Stocking Lot Road, East Haddam; Betters, 28, of Uncasville, and O'Connor, 54, of 158 Old Colchester Road, Quaker Hill.

Two teenagers were referred to Juvenile Court for their role in the assault, police said.

i.larraneta@theday.com