BRIDGEPORT -- A 38-year-old New Haven woman who has an extensive criminal history had her bond increased Tuesday in a case involving the alleged sexual assault and abduction of a 17-year-old girl.
Just after 7 a.m. on October 5, the victim was walking on Boston Avenue when Randall allegedly rolled down her window and offered the girl a ride.
Both Randall and the victim have very different accounts of what transpired next.
The girl says after she got into the car, Randall started touching her breasts. The girl told police she jumped out of the car and rolled onto the pavement.
Randall, however, tells police after the girl got in the car she noticed as much as $3 dollars missing from her cupholder. She said she accused the girl of stealing the money. The girl tried to exit the car, according to Randall, and she tried to pull her hair and told her she wanted her money back.
Surveillance video of the girl falling out of the car was released by police before the car's owner and operator was identified. One of Randall's former boyfriends saw the video on a local news cast and called Bridgeport police to say he knew who that car belong to, in part because of it's missing bumper.
After speaking to several witnesses, police arrested Randall on Saturday evening in her New Haven apartment.
She has been charged with unlawful restraint in the first degree, sexual assault in the third degree and reckless endangerment in the second degree
The interim superintendent of schools, Frances Rabinowitz, says parents should feel some comfort knowing that many of Bridgeport streets, especially near schools, are equipped with surveillance video to catch perpetrators like Randall.
Rabinowitz noted that last school year there were several instances in which students were approached by cars that had slowed down. Fortunately, she says, the cars then drove away, but they were caught on surveillance video and arrests were made.
Randall's extensive criminal history includes 15 convictions between 1995 and 2008.
Rabinowitz says the 17-year-old student continues to recover from minor injuries sustained while tumbling from the car and is receiving all necessary support from the school system.
