The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by the New Canaan Racquet Club.
A 42-year-old Syosset, N.Y., man is facing multiple felony charges after New Canaan Police allege he assaulted a woman during a domestic violence incident, strangled her until she lost consciousness and later impersonated both the woman’s brother and a retired New York Police Department lieutenant in phone calls to the NCPD.
According to the affidavit of NCPD Officer Matthew Blank, which forms the major part of an arrest warrant application obtained by NewCanaanite.com, the man is charged with second-degree assault, second-degree strangulation or suffocation, disorderly conduct, criminal impersonation and impersonating a police officer.
The investigation began June 22, when a woman arrived at New Canaan Police headquarters to report that the man had assaulted her the previous day at her parents’ home, where the couple had been living.
Police learned there was an active protective order involving the two individuals. While officers were speaking with the woman in the police department lobby, the man entered the building after following her there, according to the affidavit.
Police said he became increasingly agitated, shouting that the woman had violated the protective order issued in his favor and should be arrested. Officers escorted him into a separate training room while additional officers responded because of his escalating behavior.
According to the affidavit, the woman told investigators that on June 21 the man struck her in the head before climbing on top of her and repeatedly punching her. She alleged he repeatedly punched her previously fractured left arm, struck her in the leg and placed her in what police described as a rear naked choke, causing her to lose consciousness.
The woman also reported that shortly before fleeing to police headquarters on June 22, she heard her elderly father, who has Alzheimer’s disease, yelling for help. She told police she saw the man striking him after accusing him of hitting her mother. When the woman attempted to intervene, the man allegedly struck her in the face before she ran from the home and went directly to the police department.
Blank in the affidavit reported observing bruising above the woman’s eye, bruising on both arms, bruising behind her left ear, bruising on her lower back and bruising along the left side of her neck near her jawline.
While officers investigated the allegations, NCPD Lt. Aaron LaTourette interviewed the man at police headquarters. According to the affidavit, he repeatedly claimed the woman had violated a protective order issued in his favor and should be arrested.
After the victim completed her written statement, police subsequently arrested her on an alleged violation of that protective order.
According to the affidavit, shortly after the woman’s arrest, dispatch received two suspicious phone calls seeking information about her.
The first caller identified himself as the woman’s brother and requested information regarding her bond. LaTourette became suspicious because the caller’s voice matched the man’s and the caller refused to answer identifying questions before hanging up, the arrest warrant application said.
Dispatch received a second call. The caller then claimed to be a New York Police Department officer and provided a badge number while asking about the woman’s status.
According to the affidavit, LaTourette recognized the caller’s voice as the same man who had just been at police headquarters and who police believed had earlier impersonated the woman’s brother. When asked if he was the same individual, the caller remained silent before disconnecting.
Police said the phone number used for the second call matched a cellphone number the man had previously provided officers as his own. Investigators also noted that an internet search found a retired NYPD lieutenant with the same name used by the caller.
As part of the follow-up investigation, Blank interviewed the woman’s mother on June 30.
According to the affidavit, she told police she was in Chicago from the morning of June 22 through the afternoon of June 23 and did not witness any physical altercation between the couple. She said she had previously seen the man restrain her daughter by grabbing her shoulders when she became intoxicated and “out of control.” She also told investigators that her husband suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and would not be able to reliably recall any incidents involving the couple.
That same evening, Blank spoke with the woman’s brother, who told police he had received a missed call from the New Canaan Police Department on June 22 but did not answer it, the application said. He said he called the department the following day and was told everything had been resolved. After checking his cellphone records during the interview, he confirmed he never called the police department on the night of June 22.
Based on the investigation, Blank concluded there was probable cause that the man intentionally caused serious physical injury by repeatedly striking the woman and restricting blood circulation to her neck until she became unconscious.
Police also allege he impersonated the woman’s brother and later falsely claimed to be a police officer in an effort to deceive dispatchers into providing information about the woman.
The arrest warrant charges him with disorderly conduct, second-degree assault, second-degree strangulation or suffocation, criminal impersonation and impersonating a police officer.
The Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Stamford provides services, support and education for the prevention and elimination of domestic violence. Its 24-hour hotline is 888-774-2900. To reach DVCC offices during regular business hours, the number is 203-588-9100. Services are free and confidential, multilingual and multicultural. Here’s a podcast with the organization’s executive director.