Police: Teen stripper’s arson plot stuffed by potato in tailpipe

Two young women who were initially the best of friends as they performed at a Connecticut strip club had a falling out over money that was so bad one is charged with setting fire to a business owned by the other’s stepfather. The big break in the case? A potato stuffed into the tailpipe of a van.

Willow Martin, 19, of Naugatuck, Conn., was charged Tuesday with second-degree arson, third-degree burglary, possession of burglar’s tools, first-degree criminal mischief, attempted first-degree criminal mischief and five counts of conspiracy. She was held on $110,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at Superior Court in Waterbury. She had already been jailed for possession heroin and allegedly trying to pay a toll with counterfeit bills.

Martin and Breonna Constantino performed at the Hollywood Connecticut Strip Club in Southington, but had a falling out over money, according to an arrest warrant.

They traveled to Wildwood, N.J., last summer and Martin loaned her friend $1,200, according to the warrant. Constantino was slow to repay the debt and that angered Martin so much that she set fire to MTM Masonry in Prospect, a business owned by Constantino’s stepfather, according to the warrant.

When the business owner was notified of the fire at his business about 5 a.m. Sept. 15, and prepared to drive over, he found the potato in the van’s tailpipe, pulled it out and brought it along. He gave it to police, who had it analyzed for DNA.

Analysts at the state lab did find a DNA profile on the potato and entered into an online offender database, which yielded the name of Matthew Garguilo, according to the warrant. Naugatuck police knew Garguilo, 28, to be Martin’s boyfriend. Naugatuck police also told state police that Martin was close friends with Constantino, the business owner’s stepdaughter, according to the warrant.

In the meantime, state police arson investigators determined that the fire at MTM Masonry was arson and that gasoline was used to start it, according to the warrant. The blaze caused an estimated $450,000 in damage, and the building was later razed.

Martin refused to talk to state police, but Constantino told them of the friendship, the falling out over money and her suspicion that Martin set fire to her stepfather’s business. She said she suspected Garguilo was involved too, according to the warrant.

Garguilo told investigators that Martin set the fire and admitted he was with her when she did it, according to the warrant. The fire followed weeks of arguing over the money by Martin and Constantino, although by the time of the fire Constantino had paid most of the money back and only owed Martin $300 to $400, Garguilo told police, according to the warrant.

Garguilo insisted he did not set the fire and did not want to help, but said he went along because he feared Martin would find another guy, according to the warrant. He said he took a gas can from his house and a hammer, according to the warrant. He said he drove Martin to Prospect and watched as Martin broke into the business through a window, according to the warrant. He said he stayed outside.

When Martin set the fire there was an explosion that blew her through a door, “just like in the movies,” Garguilo told police, according to the warrant. The pair left, but returned to the fire scene later, where Martin said “yeah!” and high-fived him, Garguilo said, according to the warrant.

Garguilo also confirmed that Martin was responsible for the potato in the tailpipe, according to the warrant. He said his DNA was on the potato because he handled it.

A second witness, who began dating Martin after Garguilo went to prison on unrelated charges, told detectives that Martin told him about the fire and potato too, according to the warrant.

Garguilo was charged in connection with the fire on Thursday and remains jailed on $20,000 bail.

The Washington Post contributed.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 8:33 AM with the headline "Police: Teen stripper’s arson plot stuffed by potato in tailpipe."