In the pre-dawn hours of October 8, 2020, Angel Pichardo, a 41-year-old man, was driving home from his job at a Macy's Distribution Center in Cheshire, Connecticut. His journey home to Wolcott was tragically cut short in an act of violence that marked the town's first homicide in a decade. At approximately 4:30 a.m., as Pichardo's red Ford Explorer was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Wolcott Road and Center Street, another vehicle pulled up alongside him.
Multiple shots were fired into his SUV, striking him. Despite being wounded, Pichardo managed to drive a short distance before his vehicle veered off the road and came to a stop in a wooded area. Emergency services were called to the scene around 4:45 a.m., where they found Pichardo alone in his car, suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically, he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner would later determine that a gunshot to the torso was the cause of his death, ruling it a homicide.
The investigation into Angel Pichardo's murder immediately pointed to a targeted attack rather than a random act of violence. The driver's side of his vehicle was riddled with bullets, indicating a deliberate and focused assault. Wolcott Police, with assistance from the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Division and the FBI Gang Task Force, began the arduous task of piecing together the events of that morning. The investigation led them to believe that the shooting was gang-related, although Pichardo himself was described as a well-liked and hardworking individual. Authorities have suggested that the motive may have been retaliatory, aimed not at Pichardo directly, but at one of his family members. This theory has been a central focus of their ongoing investigation.
As of the latest reports, no arrests have been made specifically for the murder of Angel Pichardo. However, investigators have made significant progress in the case. They have successfully recovered the murder weapon and have identified a person of interest who is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges. Police have also indicated that other individuals who may have been involved are also behind bars. Early in the investigation, police were looking into a possible connection with a similar shooting in the nearby city of Waterbury and had considered the suspect in that case, Jacob Morales, as a person of interest in Pichardo’s death, though a definitive link has not been publicly established. The police chief has expressed that they are very close to solving the case, stating they have many pieces of the puzzle but are in need of one final piece of information to secure an arrest warrant. The investigation remains active as they continue to seek justice for Angel Pichardo and his family.
