MONROE, CT — A 28-year-old Bridgeport man was arrested on stalking charges on May 23 after allegedly taping an Apple AirTag underneath the rear license plate of his ex-girlfriend’s car.
On May 8, the victim told police she left for work that morning and stopped at a bank on the way home. Shortly after arriving home, she received a notification on her iPhone that an AirTag was located near her, according to police.
After searching her vehicle, she found a strip of packing tape underneath the license plate and peeled the Apple AirTag off of it.
She told officers she believed the suspect, who she had dated briefly this year, had taped it to her car, adding her ex has a history of harassing her via social media and phone calls.
A few days after the complaint, the ex-boyfriend was arrested in Trumbull following an incident in which he allegedly showed up at the complainant’s new boyfriend’s house.
Trumbull police charged him with violation of a protective order, first-degree stalking in violation of a court order, first-degree criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer/resisting, and second-degree stalking/fear of physical safety.
Monroe police detectives were granted a search warrant for the Apple AirTag, and the subsequent search revealed it was connected to an account owned by the ex-boyfriend, police said.
On May 23, Monroe detectives served an arrest warrant to the man at court in Bridgeport, charging him with electronic stalking. The court put a $25,000 bond on him and the Bridgeport man was held in custody of State Marshals, then arraigned the same day.
Nearly 3 times the legal limit
A 58-year-old Main Street man was charged with DUI on May 23 after a traffic stop in his driveway.
At approximately 10:23 p.m., officers saw a red Subaru swerving in the roadway, crossing over the double yellow center line, while heading north on Route 25 from Trumbull, police said.
When officers followed the vehicle, the driver turned around and headed south on Main Street, before pulling into his driveway, police said.
While talking to the driver, officers observed signs of intoxication and field sobriety tests showed he was over the legal limit, according to police.
Police said breathalyzer tests later showed his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.
He was charged with DUI, operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and improper use of a license plate. He was released on $500 bond for a June 11 court date.
Seat belt violation, DUI
A 41-year-old Porters Hill Road man was charged with DUI after police pulled him over in his 2017 Chevy Express Van on Purdy Hill Road, near Cedar Lane, Friday night.
While his van was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Purdy Hill Road and Monroe Turnpike at approximately 8:16 p.m., an officer noticed he was not wearing his seatbelt, according to police.
During the ensuing traffic stop, police said the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from inside the vehicle.
Field sobriety tests determined the driver was intoxicated and breathalyzer tests showed his blood alcohol level was about two-and-a-half times the legal limit, police said.
He was charged with DUI and failure to wear a seat belt and released on $500 bond for a June 11 court date.
Noise complaint leads to assault charge
A 57-year-old Barn Hill Road man was charged with assault on an elderly person after allegedly hitting his 65-year-old girlfriend early Saturday morning.
Police were called to the man’s home at 2:40 a.m. when his girlfriend alleged he was intoxicated and playing loud music. The matter was handled and the officers left.
Then at approximately 4:26 a.m., officers were called back to the property when the girlfriend called again, saying her boyfriend assaulted her.
Officers observed fresh injury marks on the left side of her face near her jaw line, police said.
The man was arrested and released on $1,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in court last Tuesday.
The Sun’s Policy on Using Names in Police Reports
Before the internet, newspapers routinely published names in the police blotter. The arrestees would be embarrassed for a few days, before most people forgot about it. They served their penalty and could move on with their lives. The issue with the article was archived in a library and could become an issue again if someone researched it.
Since the internet, the arrestees’ names can be searched online and the article will always come up. Even if the arrest was long ago and they are leading better, more productive lives, the report always looms over them.
Because of this, The Sun only uses names of people in police reports for some of the more serious crimes and incidents: murder, brutal beatings, robberies, burglaries, car thefts, thefts of thousands of dollars or more, sexual assault, pedophilia and fatal crashes.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
I think the policy of naming criminals needs to be revisited. DUI, stalking, and assault can be felony offenses under certain circumstances. People who do these things do them REPEATEDLY. People complain that “nothing is done” about robberies by out of towners, but these are more serious and sometimes deadly crimes committed by people in our town. Crimes that could hurt more, if they go unchecked. Just my thoughts.