Arrest Made in Cumberland Farms Attack

Shelton police have arrested a 24-year-old man from Stratford in connection to Tuesday’s kidnapping and assault of a Cumberland Farms employee. 

Justin Bonner, of Spruce Lane in Stratford, was charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to Sgt. Robert Kozlowsky. 

Shelton police issued a press release just before 11 a.m.

Bonner is being held on a $750,000 bond. Police expect to file more charges in the case, Kozlowsky said. 

Bonner has previous convictions for misdemeanor assault and possession of marijuana, court records indicate. In April he was sentenced to six months jail, sentence suspended, with 18 months probation.

He also has pending cases for a felony possession of marijuana, operating a vehicle under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said Bonner allegedly kidnapped a 46-year-old female clerk from the Cumberland Farms store, located at 819 River Road in Shelton, and assaulted her.

The abduction happened between 2:15 and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Detective Sgt. Kevin Ahern said Tuesday.

The employee was ​“severely” beaten and sexually assaulted, police said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the victim remained in intensive care at an unidentified hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Kozlowsky said Wednesday they did not have an updated report on the victim’s status.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect inside the store two different times prior to the abduction, Ahern said.

Ahern estimated that the two visits were ​“relatively close” in time to the abduction.

Tuesday afternoon, police released a surveillance screen shot of the suspect, and several people responded with tips, Kozlowsky said. 

Multiple people called police and identified the person in the video as Bonner, Kozlowsky said. 

Shelton police followed up on those leads, and other tips, Kozlowsky said. Police arrested Bonner at his Stratford home Wednesday morning. 

Click here to read a previous article about the assault.

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