David Laudati was arrested in Newington on Monday by U.S. Marshals and the Newington Police Department on multiple charges of voyeurism and conspiracy to commit voyeurism. [Updated, July 30, 3 p.m.]

By Ronni Newton

A 41-year-old man, wanted on an extraditable warrant from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona, was arrested in Newington on Monday morning by representatives of the U.S. Marshals Service District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force and Newington Police.

According to news releases issued by both the U.S. Marshals Service and Newington Police, David Laudati, 41, was taken into custody at approximately 11:06 a.m. on Monday, July 29, at a residence on East Robbins Street in Newington. Charges included in the warrant include 11 counts of voyeurism and eight counts of attempt to commit voyeurism. The charges stem from an investigation launched by the Buckeye (Arizona) Police Department in September 2023.

He is also being charged as a fugitive from justice, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

On Tuesday, the City of Buckeye, Arizona website was updated with additional details about the investigation into Laudati’s activities that led to the warrant for his arrest in connection with recording student athletes while they were in restrooms.

According to the release posted on the Buckeye website: “On September 9, 2023, a parent contacted Buckeye police to report their 14-year-old daughter was changing after swim practice when she spotted a cell phone in the restroom at Center on Main recreation facility where Laudati had just finished coaching the Arizona Dolphins. The teen found the cell phone inside a mesh pocket on Laudati’s backpack which was left on top of a changing table. The phone screen was reportedly on and displaying what the camera was capturing.

“On September 11, 2023, investigators with the Buckeye Police Special Victims Unit served a search warrant at Laudati’s home in Goodyear, seizing the suspect’s cell phone and electronics. The devices were then forensically analyzed. As detectives examined the digital evidence, they were able to locate several photos showing female minors partially undressed or nude in the Center on Main restroom and the Litchfield Park Recreation Center locker room. It was learned during the investigation that Laudati was also coaching swim at Millenium High School in Goodyear. A total of three victims were identified between ages 14 and 17.”

The release posted on the Buckeye website states that after police presented evidence, a Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted Laudati on July 16, 2024, on the 11 counts of voyeurism and eight counts of attempted voyeurism included in the extraditable warrant, which led to his arrest on Monday in Newington, CT.

“Prior to the investigation Laudati was employed as a swim coach. Following the investigation the Buckeye police requested the U.S. Marshal’s assistance in locating and apprehending Laudati,” the release from the U.S. Marshals Service states.

Buckeye police thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and applauded “the courageous teen and her family who made the initial report, launching a months-long investigation. From there, detectives worked to gather evidence to get justice for her and other victims.”

Prior to working as a swim coach in Arizona, Laudati was a coach of the Mandell JCC Sharks swim team in West Hartford. His teams were successful, with many swimmers excelling at the state and regional levels, at least as early as 2014, according to online records.

Information about the exact position Laudati held at the Mandell JCC, and when and why he left was not available Monday night, but on Tuesday afternoon a spokesperson from the Mandell JCC responded to We-Ha.com’s request for additional details with the following statement via email: “We have just learned of press reports involving a former employee, David Laudati. This individual was last employed by the Mandell JCC in 2019, when he left for a new job in Arizona. We are not aware of any improprieties during his time with us. Our top priority is and remains the safety and well-being of our community.”

Laudati has been detained on $500,000 bond pending extradition to Maricopa County, Arizona, and is scheduled to appear Tuesday at New Britain Superior Court, according to the Newington Police Department.

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