TORRINGTON, Conn. — There are new details regarding the arrest of a Connecticut man who allegedly sexually assaulted a minor, tied her up with a shoestring, and tried to smuggle her into Canada last week.
On Dec. 2, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Canadian border discovered 19-year-old Christopher Constanzo, of Torrington, with a knife he allegedly used to threaten his 16-year-old victim.
According to a federal affidavit, Constanzo and his alleged victim met through a mutual friend. The documents allege he raped the girl twice, then tied her up with a shoelace, stuffed her in the trunk of a car and attempted to drive into Canada.
A surveillance photo was taken at a convenience store in Colchester, Vermont showing Constanzo stopping on his way north. His alleged victim was still locked in the trunk of his car, the affidavit said.
He was caught before they entered the country.
“It was handled perfectly and obviously the girl got lucky,” said Alex Meyerovich, a Connecticut immigration and border law attorney. “Finding the guy and finding the girl would have taken more time and in cases of kidnapping, time is of the essence.”
According to the affidavit, Constanzo let the girl out of the trunk as they approached the Canadian border and had her sit in the front seat.
He allegedly told her to “act natural” and “go along with the story.”
The two were turned away by the Canadian border agents due to a lack of a COVID-19 test. On the U.S. side, border officials separated the two, which gave the victim a window of opportunity to tell authorities she was in danger.
“Fortunately, the customs and border patrol agents took note of the fact that something doesn’t add up,” Meyerovich said.
He added: “I’m sure she was intimidated and scared. Once the kidnapper has this mental power over the victim it’s really difficult to overcome it. The moment she was taken to a safe environment and separated from her kidnapper she was free to speak.”
Constanzo was arrested and will appear in federal court in Vermont on Tuesday.
In Connecticut, FOX61 News knocked on the door of the Torrington home where Constanza allegedly lives.
“We don’t need it over here. We don’t need it in Pulaski Street,” Mark Leblanc, who said he’s seen Constanzo in the neighborhood, told FOX61 News.
The Department of Homeland Security, Vermont State Police and Torrington Police did not want to comment on the arrest, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Torrington Police Department did tell FOX61 News they are also investigating a second, separate sexual assault case against Constanzo who may have been trying to flee the country avoid arrest. Additional details on that case were not immediately available.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.