A Danbury man wanted for the fatal shooting of his next-door neighbor was arraigned Friday after more than a week on the run.

Tears rolled down the face of David "Davicito" Grullen, 42, as he appeared in Danbury Superior Court for the Jan. 7 incident that left Victor Quispe, 37, dead. Grullen is charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal discharge of a firearm, second-degree breach of peace, first-degree reckless endangerment and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Quispe was a well-known barber and father-to-be who lived at 43 Lake Ave. in the townhouse adjacent to Grullon's. Attorney Gene Zingaro, who represents Grullon, told the court Quispe wasn't just his client's neighbor but his friend. Zingaro said Grullon "feels horrible" and called what happened “a tragic mistake and accident."

"He was handling the firearm and was shocked that it went off. This wasn't playing around," Zingaro told reporters after the arraignment. "I know I probably will keep saying 'accident,' and I think that's because that's the best word for it."

According to Grullon's arrest warrant, it was just before 8:30 p.m. when the gun discharged on the first floor, sending a 9 mm round through the wall and into Quispe's unit. Police believe Quispe was sitting on the couch, eating dinner when he was hit, per the warrant. Grullon tried to contact Quispe unsuccessfully, then fled to the parking lot just as Quispe's pregnant fiancée pulled in, the warrant said. The woman told police that Grullon "directed her to call 911 and said there was an accident," before leaving the scene, according to the warrant.

Quispe's fiancée initially went to Grullon's unit and checked on his children, who were alone and had been on the second floor when the shooting occurred, the warrant said. When she entered her home, she found Quispe lying on his back on the kitchen floor, bleeding and unresponsive, per the warrant.

"I'm sure that fear and panic set in," Zingaro stated outside the courthouse when asked why Grullon ran. "I'm sure he was not in his right mind when he had a realization that he had hurt someone. And at that point, he left."

Grullon is a convicted felon with three assaults on his record from 2005-2007, the bail commissioner said during the arraignment. That means it was illegal for him to have a gun. He also has a pending case from July 2024 for assault, witness intimidation and threatening.

"The state has serious concerns about his ability to come to court, to abide by court orders and the state has serious concerns for the public's safety," stated Assistant State's Attorney Mary-Caitlin Harding, as she pushed for a bond of $1.5 million.

The manhunt for Grullon ended Thursday night after he turned himself in to police—a peaceful surrender orchestrated by Zingaro, who urged the judge to take that into consideration for bond. Zingaro requested $500,000.

"The fear was in this situation, with his background, the fact that the police would presume he was armed, and he was a fugitive, that this could've gone bad quickly. Many people could have been in danger including my client, people in the surrounding area, law enforcement. And he didn't want any of those people including himself to be in danger," Zingaro said.

Judge Thomas Saadi set bond at $1 million and granted the state's request for a 30% cash requirement due to the case involving a gun, which means Grullon has to pay $300,000 in cash to get out. If he can post, it has to be done at court following a hearing where the judge will set conditions of his release.

"This is truly a tragic situation—I cannot underscore that enough—affecting multiple families," Saadi stated.

Quispe's family wasn't physically in the courtroom but were on a screen, watching the arraignment remotely.

The community has rallied around Quispe's fiancée, who's expecting the couple's first child. An online effort is raising money for funeral expenses, maternity care and newborn basics. Quispe's finance called his death an "unimaginable loss," writing, "Víctor was a loving partner, a caring family member, and a man with a kind heart who meant so much to everyone who knew him."

Quispe worked at Legends Barber Company, which hosted a vigil for him Monday night. The owner told News 12 that Quispe was "a one-of-a-kind guy" who everyone thought was special.

Grullon is due back in court for this case and the pending assault case on Feb. 2.