Melvin Bizzarro died Friday morning after being shot in the chest in the rear parking lot of the restaurant he used to own. The suspect? His father-in-law.

Stephen Stidd — owner of Togi’s Sub Station and Bizzarro’s father-in-law — was arrested.

Police found in Stidd’s gun one live round that literally had the victim’s name on it. Meanwhile, Stidd’s attorney said Bizzarro was trespassing at the time he died.

Stidd, 62, of 725 E. Main St., was arraigned on one homicide charge Friday afternoon before District Judge Dominic Cercone.

Several family members attended the hearing.

According to court records, at 9:30 a.m. Friday, the McKean County 911 Center received a call from Stephen Stidd’s wife, Barbara, reporting her son-in-law was shot.

The Stidds approached Bradford City officer Lt. Steve Caskey when he arrived on scene. Caskey asked what happened. Stephen Stidd “told him I had a gun,” court records stated, then he pulled the .38 caliber handgun from his pocket and handed it to Caskey.

Court records stated a witness on scene, Kevin Rhebergen, reported to police he heard an oral altercation while unloading his truck, then he heard a gunshot. Rhebergen then saw Bizzarro lying on the ground and Stephen Stidd standing nearby.

Henry indicated during the hearing that Rhebergen worked for Maplevale Farms.

While processing the scene after the shooting, Trooper Theodore Horner of the state police Records and Identification Unit found one live round remaining in the handgun. That round had the letters “MEL” carved into the lead portion, court records stated.

McKean County Coroner Michael Cahill pronounced Bizzarro dead at the scene, police reported.

According to Cahill, an autopsy is scheduled to take place today in Erie. “Once we see the results of that, we can better determine a cause and manner of death.”

While Bradford City Police were first called to the shooting incident Friday, state police were called to take over the investigation.

“The City of Bradford Police Department requested the Pennsylvania State Police to take over this investigation due to the fact that the suspect is a family member of one of our officers,” Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco said Friday afternoon.

Before handing the case over, city police made sure the scene was safe.

“We did respond to the scene, and we handled the incident initially,” said Lucco. “We took initial statements and secured the scene to make sure everything was safe, then I made the determination to request the Pennsylvania State Police at that location.”

Trooper Nicholas Jordan of the Kane-based state police is listed as the investigating officer in the case.

At the arraignment, where Stidd was represented by attorney Gregory Henry, Cercone read aloud the allegations against Stidd and confirmed Stidd understood them, then the judge asked Stidd several questions to help him determine what to set for bail.

When asked if he was retired, Stidd said “no,” explaining he works at Togi’s Sub Station and Togi’s Family Restaurant. He said he’s worked for Togi’s for 45 years. Stidd had never been arrested before, and he’s lived in Bradford all his life, he said. He did have a pistol permit, he agreed, and he indicated he did not have a drug or alcohol addiction.

Henry argued in favor of Cercone granting bail to Stidd.

“Although there’s no right to bail in a capital offense,” Henry said, noting it could be provided and that the reason for bail is to ensure defendants appear for court hearings.

“Mr. Stidd is an individual of unimpeachable reputation,” according to Henry, explaining he felt evidence that Stidd would not appear for future court hearings was “not very compelling.”

Henry talked a little about the relationship between Stidd and his son-in-law. He said Bizzarro pleaded guilty several years ago to allegations he assaulted Stidd badly enough Stidd required hospitalization in Erie.

District Attorney Raymond Learn disagreed on the bail matter. He argued that, while he did not know Stidd or his character, “I do know he’s been accused of murder.” Learn explained the reason lawmakers felt it fit to make it legal to deny bail in homicide cases is those charged can be “unpredictable.”

The district attorney also pointed out, “There’s more than a little evidence” showing Stidd caused Bizzarro’s death.

Learn asked Stidd be held in jail.

Cercone set bail at 10 percent of $100,000 bail, meaning that Stidd was required to pay $10,000 to be released.

The judge explained he’d lived in Bradford a long time, and he does know Stidd. He indicated he did not feel Stidd was a risk.

After Cercone set bail, Learn asked that Stidd have no contact with Bizzarro’s wife, Michelle Bizzarro, or people involved in the case, as he was concerned about the impact it might have on evidence or witnesses in relation to the case.

However, Michelle Bizzarro and three of the Stidds’ grandchildren live in their home, Henry said.

Cercone instead stipulated that Stidd not be allowed to talk about the case with those involved. Other conditions of his bail include stipulations he remain in his property either in his house or year, he immediately receive a mental health evaluation and he follow an 8 p.m. curfew.

Cercone granted a search warrant for the seizure of the clothes Stidd was wearing when he was arrested. Following the arraignment, Stidd was taken to the Kane-based state police barracks to be fingerprinted, and a family member was going to bring a change of clothes so police could take what he was wearing as evidence.

Stidd posted bail and is free. He is scheduled to appear in Central Court on Thursday.

Both Bizzarro and Stidd were known in the community through their work at Bradford businesses.

Tax assessment records list Stephen D. and Barbara R. Stidd as the owners of Togi’s Sub Shop since Sept. 18, 1990, and Melvin D. and Michelle R. Bizzarro as the owner of Togi’s Family Restaurant since June 20, 2007, when they received it from the Stidds. The Stidds bought Togi’s Restaurant May 1, 1986.

However, Stidd’s attorney, Greg Henry, indicated at the arraignment hearing that Melvin Bizzarro no longer had rights to the restaurant.

According to Henry, on Dec. 19, 2014, Melvin Bizzarro and his wife, Michelle, “entered into a marital settlement agreement” which “provided that Michelle was to receive exclusive rights” to Togi’s Family Restaurant.

“Mr. Bizzarro understood at the time of the agreement he was not to be on the property,” Henry added, contending that Bizzarro was trespassing at the time of the alleged incident. He asserted Stidd was defending himself.

This was not the first altercation between Bizzarro and Stidd that has come to the attention of law enforcement.

Nearly a decade ago, Melvin Bizzarro, then 33, was sentenced to 15 days to a year in McKean County Jail for threatening and assaulting Stidd at Togi’s Sub Station on June 27, 2005. Stidd was seriously injured and required medical treatment.

According to court proceedings at the time, the dispute began when one man got a cup of coffee the other man did not want him to have. Bizzarro told then-Judge John Yoder that he and Stidd were arguing about an apartment over Togi’s Restaurant, and Stidd struck him several times before he retaliated. He told Yoder that family problems with Stidd had been ongoing at that time.