Bridgeport

Man Tried to Lure Two High School Students Into His Car in Conn.: Police

NBC Universal, Inc.

Bridgeport police have arrested a man who is accused of trying to lure two high school students into his car in two separate incidents this week. They said he grabbed onto one student and tried to drag her toward his car as she yelled for help.

Police officers responded to Central High School at 11 a.m. Thursday to check on an 18-year-old student who has lost cell phone contact with a friend as she was leaving campus and walking toward North Avenue. 

The student was found safe off campus and told police that a man had tried to lure her into his car on the school campus. 

She said that she walked away from him toward a path that connects the campus to North Avenue and he got out of his vehicle, grabbed onto her and tried to drag her back toward his car as she yelled for help, police said. 

The victim was able to break free and escape toward North Avenue, police said.

Police were able to look at city and Board of Education cameras and identified a suspect vehicle and apprehended a suspect in his vehicle on Taft Avenue, police said. 

Police have identified him as 36-year-old Antonio Dossantos, of Bridgeport, and said he confessed. 

Dossantos has been charged with unlawful restraint in the second degree, breach of peace in the second degree and criminal attempt kidnapping in the second degree. 

Police said an officer took a similar complaint Thursday about a similar incident around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

They said a man tried to lure a 15-year-old Central High School student into his car near the Eaton Street gate to the campus and they identified Dossantos as the suspect. 

He has also been charged with risk of injury to a child and breach of peace in the second degree. 

His bond is set at $150,000 and he is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Anyone with additional information about either incident is asked to call Bridgeport Police Department case officer Detective Angel Llanos at 203-581-5238 or the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.

Contact Us