The owner of a Waterbury social club was killed in a shooting outside the club Saturday night, and police have charged another Waterbury man with murder.
Dennis Santos, the 51-year-old owner of the Salsa Tropical Social Club at 406 Watertown Ave., arrived at a Waterbury hospital Saturday night with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the hospital around 11:40 p.m., according to the Waterbury Police Department.
Police responded to the club shortly after 11 p.m. and learned that a fight had allegedly broken out in the parking lot between a man named Ramon Rodriguez and several other people. Rodriguez allegedly fired shots during the fight, police said.
Investigators found evidence of a shooting in the lot and learned that Santos, of Waterbury, had arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound, police said.
Rodriguez fled the scene, but officers quickly found the 44-year-old man, took him into custody and found a loaded firearm, police said.
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Rodriguez was charged with murder, reckless endangerment in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a handgun without a permit, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, tampering with a license plate identification of the firearm and second-degree breach of peace. said the police.
He was being held in police custody on $2 million bail, police said.
No other injuries related to the shooting were reported and other information was not immediately available.
Also Saturday, the owner of a Waterbury restaurant was arrested and charged with murder after a shooting outside his business.
Michael Anderson, 61, was charged with murder, first-degree reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm after a shooting outside Mikey’s Jamaican restaurant on East Main Street in Waterbury at 1:40 a.m. Saturday that 28-year-old Sebastian left. Olavarria dead, police said.
Anderson was also being held on $2 million bond, police said.
Waterbury police were actively investigating both incidents. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Waterbury Police Department Detective Bureau at 203-574-6941 or Crime Stoppers at 203-755-1234.
