I-84 Shooting –

Local Man Slain In Danbury

By Andrew Gorosko

DANBURY — State police are continuing their investigation into the mysterious shooting death of a Newtown man who was gunned down late Monday night on Interstate-84 as he drove to work at the Danbury Hilton.

Mark F. Rebong, 28, of Newtown, died late Tuesday as a result of a gunshot wound he suffered about 11 pm Monday, according to state police spokesman Sergeant J. Paul Vance.

State police received an emergency 911 telephone call about 11 pm reporting a motor vehicle accident on the I-84 westbound Exit 2 off-ramp. On arriving at the scene, state police found Mr Rebong in his 1999 black Jeep Cherokee in a grassy area against the fence of a commuter parking lot, the victim of a gunshot wound to the head. The driver’s side window of the Jeep apparently had been shot out, leading investigators to theorize that Mr Rebong was shot through the window while driving.

Mr Rebong received emergency medical care at the scene and was quickly transported to the Danbury Hospital emergency room where he was listed in extremely critical condition, Sgt Vance said.

Mr Rebong died Tuesday night shortly after 11 pm at the hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.

A spokesman for the chief state medical examiner’s office in Farmington said an autopsy to determine the manner and means of Mr Rebong’s death was scheduled for Thursday.

Sgt Vance asked anyone with any information about the shooting incident to contact state police at 800/376-1554 or 203/267-2200. Calls will be kept confidential, he said.

State police want anyone who may have witnessed the shooting incident to contact them, Sgt Vance said. No matter how insignificant a piece of information might seem to someone, it may prove useful to state police investigating the case, he said.

State police detectives from the Western District Major Crime Squad positioned themselves at Exit 2 late Tuesday night, seeking information from motorists who might have witnessed the crime at that time the previous night.

State police provided no information about who may have shot Mr Rebong or a motive in the shooting. There was no apparent evidence of a robbery and no weapon was recovered, according to state police.

Although the Jeep came to rest at the commuter parking lot fence, it is unclear where the shooting occurred, Sgt Vance said. Forensic studies will be used in seeking to establish the facts in the case, he said.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in the case,” the sergeant said. “We’re simply just going to have to go through all the evidence we have. We’ve spoken to some people who have some information,” he said.

“It’s a long process, a very involved process” involving meticulous detective work, Sgt Vance said of investigations such as the one involving Mr Rebong’s death.

In light of the possibility that the person who shot Mr Rebong then continued driving onward on westbound I-84 into New York State, Connecticut State Police are seeking help from New York authorities in investigating the crime.

Sgt Vance said state police have no information about any other vehicle that may have been involved in the incident.

State police spokesman Trooper Richard Alexandre said Thursday morning the Jeep is being examined closely for physical evidence which may aid police in solving the crime. After investigating at the crime scene Tuesday, state police towed the Jeep to Troop A in Southbury.

A Gentle Soul

Psychiatrist Dr Efren E. Rebong recalled that his son, Mark, was a gentle soul.

“This kid is such a nice kid. If you knew him, you would love him. He’s very giving. He would give his shirt off his back,” Dr Rebong said, adding it is tragic that his son’s life was cut so short.

One of Mark’s dreams was to make sufficient money to return to the Philippines and provide children with computer systems, Dr Rebong said.

“He had so much potential. He was such a bright kid,” the doctor said, adding his son had a very dry sense of humor.

Dr Rebong described his son as a helpful and caring person.

“He’s nice to people, very helpful, very respectful, very even tempered,” he said.

“It’s a senseless type of thing,” the doctor said of his son’s death. “It’s heart wrenching. It’s very sad,” he added.

Besides his father, Mark Rebong leaves his mother, Anita (Tongohan) Rebong and a brother, M. Renan Rebong, all of Newtown.

Mark was born in the Philippines March 29, 1971. He came to the United States in 1973. He graduated from St Rose School in Newtown and The Wooster School in Danbury, Class of 1989. He graduated from Skidmore College in May, 1993, with a bachelor’s degree, and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic College in August 1993 with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneuring.

Friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street in Newtown Friday, January 21, from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown on Saturday, January 22, at 10:30 am. Internment will be at the convenience of the family.