A man arrested in connection with a Southington fire that killed 19-year-old last summer is due in court next month after his case was continued on Friday to work out a plea deal.
Eric Morelli has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree arson in connection with the death of Kristen Milano, 19, who died in a fire last June. He entered a not guilty plea and his case has been continued until May 1.
Officials said Morelli, a friend of Kristen’s brother, threw a lit firecracker through the window of Milano’ s Southington apartment, then fire broke out.
Milano died of smoke inhalation.
According to the affidavit, Morelli drank beer and vodka at a party in New Britain near Central Connecticut State University, then drove to the Darling Street apartment on his motorized scooter around 4:30 a.m. June 22.
He told police he could see Jason Milano sleeping on the couch, but called his name and couldn't wake him, so he grabbed fireworks from his moped and began throwing them at the apartment, the affidavit says. The first two bounced off the window, but the third landed inside.
Investigators later found fireworks near the apartment window, the affidavit says, and at least one of which appeared to have gone off.
The Milanos’ aunt, Diane Goodrich, told police she woke up when the fire alarm went off, saw flames on a pillow in Jason Milano’s second-story bedroom and doused the flames, to no avail, the affidavit says, so she woke her nephew and ran outside.
Jason Milano told police he tried to get back in to see if anyone else was inside, but the smoke was too thick and he turned around.
Goodrich told authorities everyone was out of the building, according to the affidavit, but she was wrong.
Kristen Milano had been sleeping on the second floor and firefighters found her body while searching the apartment. She was identified by her tattoos, the affidavit says.
When police spoke with Morelli, he said he went home after failing to wake his friend and didn’t know Kristen Milano had died in the blaze. When police told him, he started to cry, according to the affidavit.
Ray Hassett, Morelli's attorney, said the affidavit is one of many documents providing insight into what happened that night, and "there are other critical reports which will supplement the facts of this case," including the official report of the fire investigator.
"The entire situation is tragic considering all the facts known to date," Hassett said in a statement in August. "There appear to be a number of extenuating circumstances which caused this catastrophic outcome."