Lida Shape Obituary, Death; – A man from Norwalk has been charged with murder following the death of a woman he assaulted outside a Trumbull apartment complex, as reported by the police. Ylli Shtopaku, aged 45, faces murder charges, according to Falkenstein.
During his arraignment at the state Superior Court in Bridgeport on Tuesday, Judge Elizabeth Reid mandated that Shtopaku be held on a $3 million bail, citing the severity of the allegations and the strength of the prosecution’s case. Shtopaku remained silent next to his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Dennis Salzbrunn, as the judge indicated that he would be placed on suicide watch while incarcerated.
The case was continued to Friday, when Shtopaku is scheduled to appear at the Main Street courthouse. Frank Riccio, an attorney for the victim’s family, also addressed the court, describing the incident as a particularly brutal and heinous crime. Falkenstein reported that Shtopaku attacked Shape after a brief interaction as she returned home to the Oakview Drive apartment complex with a companion.
The initial investigation revealed that Shtopaku confronted several women outside the complex on Monday, and after a short argument, he retrieved a bat from his vehicle, pursued Shape, and struck her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground. Police were alerted to the scene around 12:30 p.m., and Shtopaku remained present until officers took him into custody.
Investigators believe Shtopaku specifically targeted Shape, and it was determined that they were previously related but had lost that connection due to a family divorce several years prior. Family members who arrived later were treated by emergency medical personnel for issues not directly associated with the incident, as stated by Falkenstein. Initially, police identified Shtopaku as a resident of Monroe, but it was later clarified that this was an outdated address.
