Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of a martial arts instructor who they said was killed while stopping a robbery in Bridgeport in 2021.
The victim, 54-year-old Joselito Calderon, of Bridgeport, was shot and killed at the Copa Bar and Restaurant in July 2021, according to police.
Officers responded to the intersection of Lexington and Harral avenues just before 1 a.m. the day of the homicide for a ShotSpotter activation and citizen reports of two parties shot inside the Copa Restaurant.
When officers arrived, they located the two parties suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims of the shooting were transported to St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Calderon later died at the hospital, while the other victim, 30-year-old Niel Francisco, survived.
During a news conference on Tuesday, police said Calderon was a hero.
He was at the restaurant and bar with his wife when he was shot while stopping the robbery and he saved lives, police said.
“My world was gone in two seconds,” Calderon’s wife, Christina, said during the news conference about the arrest.
She said she and her husband got married at the Copa Bar and Restaurant and he gave the leftovers from their wedding meal to people who are homeless.
They were married for 11 months when he was killed, Christina Calderon said, said.
According to his obituary, Calderon was also a father and a martial arts instructor who owned Chen Huu Academy in Stratford.
Police have arrested 38-year-old Victor Colon, of Bridgeport, and charged him with murder, accessory to murder, attempted robbery in the first degree and criminal possession of a firearm.
Colon’s bond has been set at $2 million. He was arraigned on Monday, remains in custody and is due in court on Aug. 11, according to online court records.
Police said several people were involved in the crime and they expect to make more arrests
