EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — The suspect in the death of a 40-year-old East Hartford man on Burnside Avenue earlier this week was taken into custody on an arrest warrant out of New Jersey on Thursday, according to police.
Keiran K. Walker, 39, is being held on a fugitive from justice charge out of New Jersey and will appear in Manchester court for that charge.
On Sunday evening, police were called to Burnside Ave., where they found Sean Arcari, 40, of East Hartford, with a fatal gunshot wound.
Walker spent three days hiding in plain sight. Court documents show Walker was seen on video leaving a Burnside Avenue boarding house Sunday night with a blood-covered arm before taking cover in a nearby Tolland Street apartment until he tried to leave out back on Wednesday and was arrested by East Hartford police on an outstanding weapon charge from New Jersey.
“When they looked under that air mattress, they did find a Ruger 9mm. It did have ammunition that was consistent with ammunition at the scene of the shooting,” prosecutors said Thursday at Manchester Superior Court, where Walker was arraigned on first-degree murder.
Witnesses tell police Walker and 40-year-old Sean Arcari argued and fought before shots rang out, police were called, and medics declared Arcari dead at the scene.
“Detectives set up surveillance over the course of the next couple of days and were watching the home, and yesterday they saw the suspect, Keiran, trying to leave out the back of the apartment,” said Officer Marc Caruso, spokesman for the East Hartford Police Department.
“The victim allegedly went to the room of the defendant; they had an argument, and what resulted was Mr. Walker shooting the victim.”
Caruso said the nature of that argument is still under investigation.
“But there was a physical dispute prior to us being called,” he said.
Police said they found fentanyl and packaging materials at the crime scene. A public defender said Walker has lived in East Hartford for 15 years and worked in construction his entire adult life and appears to have mental health and substance abuse issues.
Walker is considered a flight risk and remains in custody with bail set at $2.5 million. He’s ordered not to have any contact with the Arcari’s family.
It is not clear at this time if and when Walker would be extradited back to New Jersey to face the charges, police said he ran from.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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