Details Emerge of Alleged Robber Shot Dead in Milford

A man who claims to have been "a good friend" of Matthew Lofaro – “going back to high school” – says the suspected robber who was shot dead by a state trooper early Wednesday was "one of the nicest, most genuine people I have known."

"When last I was in touch with him, about a week and a half to two weeks ago, he seemed to be doing really well," writes "Alex" in a blog post titled, "Another One Bites the Dust."

"There was no indication that something like this could ever transpire...He was the type of person who always looked out for his friends, helping them when he could and never asking for favors.

"I find it very hard to believe that in the course of two weeks, something could have happened which made him stoop to the level of robbery."

Alex writes that Lofaro and his dad had worked together, replacing windows on the same house that the apparent former high school mate was painting this week.

Michael Lofaro is the owner of Milford-based Berkeley Exteriors, a business he founded in 1982, according to Yelp. The listing says Matthew Lofaro started working for the company after college.

"...his son Matt working full time and in training to continue the family business into the future, maintaining Mike's vision and values for a long time to come," reads the last line of the profile.

Lofaro had no prior criminal convictions, according to online court records, but was in the pre-trial stage for an illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle charge that occurred in June in Newtown.

He had entered a not guilty plea and was due in court Nov. 12.

For more on the alleged attempted gas station robbery that turned fatal early Wednesday on the Boston Post Road, see this comprehensive report.