A Stepney volunteer firefighter is accused of setting fire to his recovered SUV and reporting it stolen again. Police say 38-year old Matthew Bittner of Monroe told officers that he didn’t want it any more because of where it had been.
The SUV, registered to his girlfriend, was first reported stolen from a driveway in Monroe in October. It was recovered the following day in Bridgeport and picked up by Bittner. Monroe Police contacted him about it being located burning in a Newtown parking lot. He told police it must have been stolen again.
The Connecticut Post reports that text messages between him, another man and his girlfriend included disparaging, racial comments about Bridgeport residents.
Bittner was charged with arson, conspiracy to commit arson, tampering with evidence, making a false statement and insurance fraud. His friend, 32-year old Joseph Bogdanyi of Seymour was charged with conspiracy to commit arson and making a false statement. Each were released on bond for court appearances on January 2nd.
