A Bridgeport man has been arrested on charges of stabbing a Fairfield student in the chest early Sunday morning at a Lantern Point beach house.
As of Tuesday night, 21-year-old Tom Foran ’06 was reported in stable condition in Bridgeport Hospital. His lung had partially collapsed when he was stabbed.
Sean Wargo, 19, of 198 Prince St., was charged with first-degree assault and breach of peace in the 3:46 a.m. stabbing, Fairfield police said.
“There was a description given and police saw Wargo walking up Reef Road,” Captain Robert Comers said. “Tom identified him.”
Wargo was released on a $5,000 bond and will appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Monday for his arraignment, police said.
“There was a party going on and the student, Tom, was there,” Comers said. “The dispute was over a coat. Tom and Sean Wargo took the fight outside where the stabbing happened.”
Jen Bourque ’06, resident of ‘The Undertow’ beach house where the stabbing took place, said she and her housemates did not know Wargo or how he got into their house.
Bourque said a Fairfield student was wearing Wargo’s coat, which angered Wargo.
“This girl tried to get the kid [Wargo] out of the house because no one knew him,” Bourque said. “He wouldn’t listen and that’s when Tom intervened.”
Bourque said she was in her room when Foran was stabbed.
“I heard people yelling about someone getting stabbed,” Bourque said. “I opened the door and a girl was on the phone with 911 and handed me the phone.”
Brennan Clark ’06 was also at the party when Foran was stabbed.
“Tom came in and told me that he thought he had been stabbed,” Clark said. “We looked down and saw blood stains on his shirt.”
“A few girls were really upset,” Clark added. “I don’t think it really hit me at first what was going on. It seemed kind of surreal because you just don’t picture that kind of thing happening at Fairfield.”
Clark said students made Foran sit down and then took off his shirt.
Bourque said when she went downstairs, she saw Foran sitting in a chair being helped by two girls.
“They were holding towels over the wound,” Bourque said. “He lost over a liter of blood before he got to the hospital.”
Borque said Foran’s friends, Matt Lupo ’06 and Domenic Bonavitacola ’06, accompanied him to the hospital. The police left Borque’s house around 5:15 a.m.
The stabbing has raised Fairfield students’ concerns about beach safety.
“I can’t believe this all happened, and I don’t feel safe,” said Bourque. “The events that took place keep playing over and over in my head. It’s not like I think this kid is going to come back here, but I am just completely creeped out by the whole thing and that something like this could happen here in Fairfield.”
“I have been sleeping with my door locked,” Bourque added.
Taylor Gilhuly ’06, a Lantern Point resident, said she did not realize such a serious crime could happen at Fairfield beach.
“It’s scary that people who aren’t from Fairfield can come to your house and do something like that,” Gilhuly said. “I felt pretty safe here before.”
But beach resident Rob Diamond ’06 said he still feels safe.
“I’m just going to be more cautious about who we let into our house,” Diamond said.
Chuck Abercrombie, president of the Fairfield Beach Residents Association, told the Connecticut Post that the stabbing reflects the increase of lawbreaking at the beach. Although Abercrombie could not be reached for comment, Lantern Point Association President Michael O’Rourke said he disagrees.
“Where is Mr. Abercrombie getting his information from?” O’Rourke said. “He references no data to back up his claims. Is he getting it from police reports and arrests or just his gut feeling?”
O’Rourke said the Point security has reported a quiet winter.
Fairfield police agree.
“As far as I know, although I haven’t specially looked into it, there hasn’t been an increase of arrests and warnings at the beach,” Comers said. “If anything, I would say there has been a little less.”
The Fairfield community continues to pray for Foran.
“All everyone cares about right now is Tom and nothing else,” Bourque said. “Everyone’s lives have been put on hold. I know there was a little time when I didn’t think he would be OK.”
Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino said his primary concern has been making sure that Foran is “all right,” but he also plans on assessing the situation carefully.
“Like any administrator, I have some very basic goals, but paramount among these is for the university community, students in particular, to adopt a culture that condemns the destructive and discourteous behavior that is hurting our students and those around them,” Pellegrino said. “College should be an opportunity to have fun and enjoy the company of others, but it has to be within recognized limits.”
Foran is scheduled to graduate, summa cum laude, in May. He has applied to be the class of 2006’s valedictorian.
“I just hope he has a speedy recovery and doesn’t ever get put into a situation like that again when he’s just trying to help people out,” Clark said.
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