Police: Man Shot Himself Accidentially, Lied to Avoid Weapon Possession Charge

There is a saying that “the truth always reveals itself” and for three Southington residents, the revelation comes with a list of criminal charges after Southington police said a 25-year-old shot during an August incident at the T.A. Truck Stop attempted to stage a robbery scene in an effort to avoid officers learning he had actually shot himself.

Officers have taken Milton Montesdeoca Jr. and his parents into custody after learning that the three staged an armed robbery scene in an effort to hide the fact that the 25-year-old was in possession of a gun and shot himself in the leg, Southington Police Sgt. Jeffrey Bobratz said Thursday.

Montesdeoca, 25, is facing charges of criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm and second-degree filing a false report.

He was arraigned in Bristol Superior Court late last week and remains in state custody in lieu of a $100,000 court-set bond, court records show.

“Investigation revealed that Montesdeoca had fabricated the incident to conceal the fact that he had shot himself in the groin/thigh area,” Dobratz said. “During the course of the investigation, police learned that Montesdeoca is a convicted felon and cannot possess a firearm.”

Police were initially called to the Travel Center of America around 12:45 a.m. with reports of shots fired and an injured male. Montesdeoca was located and taken to a Waterbury hospital for treatment, police said at the time of the incident.

A police report released this week indicated that Montesdeoca, who had been staying on the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike at the Econo Lodge located adjacent to the Travel Center of America, told police an unknown male approached him, robbed him and shot him in the leg.

Further investigation, however, revealed an entirely different story – one in which he shot himself, then requested help from family in covering up the incident.

Anita Gorneau, Montesdeoca's mother, and Michael Gorneau, Montesdeoca's step-father, removed evidence from the scene and proceeded to provide false statements, lying with police to in an attempt to conceal what happened during the incident, Dobratz said.  

Both are facing charges of tampering with evidence, second-degree filing a false report and interfering with police. Each was released after posting a $50,000 non-surety bond, court records showed, and are due in Bristol Superior Court for arraignment later this month.

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