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Weathersfield man charged in murder

WEATHERSFIELD — A 29-year-old Barcelona Drive man is being held on $1 million bond after his 27-year-old roommate was shot in the head and died at the home late Wednesday night.

Ian Payne of Weathersfield appeared in Niles Municipal Court via video hookup from Trumbull County jail Thursday morning for arraignment on a first-degree murder charge. Payne pleaded not guilty, and Judge Christopher Shaker set bond and scheduled a 9 a.m. March 25 preliminary hearing for the case.

A public defender represented Payne at the arraignment, a court official said.

According to a news release from township police Chief Michael J. Naples Jr., police were called about 11:25 p.m. to the home in the 100 block of Barcelona Drive. When officers arrived, they found the 27-year-old male victim deceased, Naples said.

The Trumbull County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Zachary Wiczen and said an autopsy on Wiczen was to be performed either Thursday afternoon or this morning.

Naples said the Trumbull County Homicide Task Force was called in to assist his department in the ongoing investigation.

According to a Trumbull County 911 report, a caller said the two roommates “started arguing and Zachary pulled a gun. They wrestled around with it, and it went off.”

The caller then told 911 that after the shooting, “the gun was unloaded and is sitting on the couch.”

According to the 911 report, Payne was advised to put his hands up and walk outside.

A separate Trumbull County 911 report showed that police were dispatched to the same address earlier that night to investigate “a roommate making threats.”

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