TRUMBULL, CT – Just a day after celebrating her 70th birthday with loved ones, a woman was fatally attacked at her apartment complex in what authorities describe as a brutal assault with a baseball bat. The incident, which has left the local community shaken, took place at the Ten Trumbull apartment complex on April 28.

Investigators allege that 46-year-old Ylli Shtopaku targeted Lida Shape, his former mother-in-law, in a daylight attack that lasted just over a minute. The assault occurred shortly after Shape returned to her residence with an acquaintance around noon.

Police say Shtopaku confronted Shape in the clubhouse area of the luxury apartment complex, where surveillance footage reportedly captured the sustained attack. Responding officers found Shape lying on her back with severe injuries, struggling to breathe. She succumbed to her wounds at the scene.

Authorities revealed that Shtopaku and Shape were related by marriage, but that connection had ended several years earlier following Shtopaku’s divorce from Shape’s daughter. The victim shared her home in Trumbull with her daughter and two grandchildren.

According to police documents, Shtopaku was apprehended near the scene after a neighbor identified him to officers. Upon arrest, he allegedly remarked that Shape had made his life miserable for years and admitted to carrying out the attack.

Further investigation revealed Shtopaku’s claim that he had seen Shape at a local mall’s food court earlier that day, followed her to the apartment complex, and confronted her before retrieving a baseball bat from his vehicle. In interviews with authorities, he reportedly blamed his former mother-in-law for personal setbacks, including his divorce, the loss of his home in Monroe, and his financial struggles.

Prosecutors have since charged Shtopaku with murder. At his recent court appearance, he was presented with a plea deal, but details of the offer were not released to the public.

Shtopaku is currently being held on a $3 million bond. Court documents list his next scheduled appearance for February 19, 2026.

As the case continues, friends and neighbors remember Shape as a cherished member of the community, adding to the heartbreak surrounding the tragedy. The incident has also drawn attention to issues of family violence and the broader impacts of domestic disputes.

Police continue their investigation and have urged any additional witnesses to come forward. Meanwhile, Shape’s family is left mourning the loss of a beloved mother and grandmother, as legal proceedings move forward.