Crime & Safety

Father in Ridgefield Amber Alert Perhaps "Highly Intoxicated"

Superior Court Judge Andrew Roraback issued a protective order keeping Paul Lupo away from his wife and son following Sunday's Amber Alert.

Sunday's Amber Alert in Ridgefield started when Susan Lupo reached the police department and told police her husband was "highly intoxicated."

She went on to describe him cursing and yelling at her, smashing her cell phone on the floor when she tried to call 911, and then twisting her arm when she poured the wine down the sink. When she hid in the bathroom, he forced his way inside.

She fled the house and drove to the Ridgefield Police Department, leaving her five-year-old son with Paul Lupo. All of this information comes from the arrest warrant application filed after Sunday's incident.

When she and the police arrived back at her home, Paul and their son Francis were gone. Police saw the batteries on the floor from the broken phone and they saw a wine glass full of wine on a table, police wrote in the arrest warrant application. They issued the Amber Alert.

Susan Lupo told police the couple were new to Ridgefield, and the only place she could think her husband would go is the Bronx to his ex-wife's house. Ridgefield Police called New York Police, who called the ex-wife. When police reached her on the phone, she said, yes, the boy was there and he was fine. The Amber Alert, which many people saw in Connecticut because it flashed across television screens during football games, lasted about an hour.

Paul M. Lupo, 49, was arraigned in Danbury Superior Court Tuesday, and Superior Court Judge Andrew Roraback declined the prosecution's attempt to raise Lupo's bail. However, Judge Roraback issued a full no-contact protective order against Lupo visiting his wife or son.

Paul Lupo already had a partial protective order issued against him in New York on Oct. 17, 2012 good for two years saying he couldn't assault, threaten, abuse, harass, follow or interfere with Susan Lupo.

Following Sunday's incident, Paul Lupo was charged in Connecticut with violating a protective order, interfering with a 911 call, disorderly conduct and failure to have a car seat in a car. Judge Roraback continued the case into October and ordered Paul Lupo to cooperate with the state Department of Children and Families.


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