Sex offender assaulted, bullet shatters car

2-12-2010 Connecticut:

A 37-year-old registered sex offender was assaulted and robbed Thursday morning, six hours after a bullet shattered his back windshield while he was driving south on South Main Street, police said.

Officers have not yet determined if the two incidents are related or just coincidental because parked cars were also hit by gunfire in the area of South Main Street where the victim's back window was shot out, according to Sgt. Lisa Cotto, a spokeswoman for the Norwalk Police Department.

The victim contacted police shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday to report that the back window of his car had been shattered while he was driving near the intersection of South Main and Grove streets, police said.

He said he heard a bang, then noticed the broken car glass, but he did not see the perpetrator in the incident, according to police.

Officers conducted further investigation in the area where the victim's car was reportedly struck and found two bullet holes in a red Dodge Neon that was parked at 147 South Main St., police said. Evidence was recovered from the scene, and officers made contact with the Neon's owner, but she was sleeping when the incident occurred, police said.

Police said they also found a Ford Taurus that was parked in the area where the gunfire occurred had a bullet hole in it. Officers are still attempting to contact the owner of the Taurus.

The man whose back window was damaged by gunfire called police Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m. to report that he had been robbed by a group of approximately eight males, police said.

He told police he had parked his car near Colonial Village, a housing complex that is close to his home, and the males started punching and harassing him. He said the men called him a rapist, a sex offender and various expletives while they were assaulting him, according to police.

The victim said he believed one of the males had a gun, police said. The suspects took his wallet, which contained a small amount of money and personal items, police said.

He told police that he has noticed people following him to work for the past week or so. The victim, who was convicted of sexual assault in 2001, also said he heard a woman's voice in the background while he was being assaulted. He believes the female that he heard in the background may be the victim of the sexual assault, police said.

Police are investigating both incidents. ..Source.. STEVE KOBAK