WATERTOWN, Ct. — A 19-year-old Connecticut man has been charged with murder in the slaying of his UPS co-worker while the pair delivered holiday packages Tuesday.
Authorities have not released a motive in the killing, but Elijah David Bertrand was taken into custody Wednesday following a 15-hour manhunt after Nathan Burk, 28, was found fatally wounded in the delivery truck, the Hartford Courant reported.
State police said Bertrand attacked Burk with a weapon in the vehicle, but they did not specify the type of weapon used, the newspaper reported.
Police officers, responding to what they believed to be a vehicle accident involving a UPS truck, found Burk suffering from injuries consistent with an assault. The Waterbury man died a short while later at an area hospital, Fox News reported.
Bertrand, who has cooperated with Western District Major Crimes Squad detectives in their investigation, was ordered held on $2 million bail, the Courant reported.
UPS spokesperson Matthew O’Connor told Fox News on Wednesday that the company was “deeply saddened by the loss” and was cooperating with the investigation.
“Nathan was a hard worker and a great Teamster. Our hearts are breaking right now,” Mike Rinaldi, president of Teamsters Local 677 and a UPS business agent, said during a memorial gathering held Wednesday night.
Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters Joint Council 10, called Burk’s death a tragedy and said the union will provide any help the more than 12,000 UPS workers in New England need.
“As we know, mental health has been real difficult through the COVID-19 [pandemic], and a situation like this doesn’t help. We are going be there for our members,” O’Brien said, according to the Courant.
The Teamsters’ joint council committed Wednesday to raise funds for Burk’s family and had already amassed about $60,000, the newspaper reported.