Darien Man Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Wife in Shower

Police arrested a Darien man Thursday afternoon, after he allegedly threatened to shoot his wife in the shower with a pellet pistol and prevented her from calling for help.

Police say Walter Costrzewski, 42, had been arguing with his wife all morning, and at about 11 a.m. she decided to take a shower in their master bathroom. Shortly thereafter, Costrzewski entered the room, opened the shower curtain and pointed a pellet pistol at his wife's head. She yelled at him, and Costrzewski left the room.

A few minutes later he returned, opened the shower curtain, pointed the pellet pistol at his wife's head—closer this time—and pulled the trigger, police said. Costrzewski's wife told police she "heard the click" but no pellets were discharged.

"Next time it's going to be real," Costrzewski said, before the leaving the room, pellet pistol in hand.

At that point, Costrzewski's wife got dressed and called a family member from a landline phone for advice as to whether or not she should call police. When she heard Costrzewski pick up another phone, she immediately hung up the receiver, grabbed her purse and her car keys and headed for the front door, police said.

According to police, Costrzewski then threw a handset at his wife, which hit her in the back. She reached for the phone and tried to call 911. The line had been disconnected, and she could not place the call.

Costrzewski followed his wife outside. Neighbors were strolling down the street, and Costrzewski turned back to the house, while his wife got in the car and left the residence.

According to police, Costrzewski attempted to contact his wife 12 times between 12:30 p.m. and 2:40 p.m., calling and sending non-threatening text messages to her cell phone

"She was emotional and for some reason was reluctant to call us," said Capt. Fred Komm of the Darien Police Department.

At 2:40 p.m., when she knew her husband was at work in Milford, Costrzewski's wife returned home decided to call the police from her cell phone while parked in the driveway.

Darien police called Costrzewski and left him a message to return the call. The department soon received a call from someone purporting to be Costrzewski's attorney.

"He said he wouldn't be coming down this evening. That's unacceptable," said Capt. Komm.

Milford police were contacted and detained Costrzewski in his Milford office until Darien police arrived.

Costrzewski was placed under arrest and posted $50,000 bond. He faced a judge on April 23 for charges of reckless endangerment, second-degree threatening, interfering with an emergency call and harassment.

Police later recovered the unloaded pellet pistol in Costrzewski's laundry room. They say officers had dealt with a previous domestic violence incident at the home in September of 1996.