Suspect Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges In Bridgeport: Police

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 24-year-old Bridgeport man was arrested on first-degree sexual assault charges over the weekend, after police said he attacked a woman, who he met online through a dating app, in the basement of his North End home.

In addition to first-degree sexual assault, Therdy Joseph was also charged with second-degree strangulation; first-degree unlawful restraint; interfering with an emergency call; and third-degree assault.

Joseph was arrested on Sunday, several hours after the alleged assault, according to police.

"The victim, 19, who is not from Bridgeport, managed to escape the home after the assault, which occurred on Saturday night," wrote Bridgeport Police Det. Jeffrey Holtz in a statement. "She then drove to a nearby parking lot and called 911. A Bridgeport dispatcher promptly identified her approximate location through her cell phone call. A patrol officer and medics arrived quickly to render aid and support. The victim was transported to St. Vincent's Hospital, where she was treated."

Detectives secured a crime scene and obtained an arrest warrant within hours, which led to the department's Special Victims Unit taking Joseph into custody at the home where the attack allegedly occurred.

"The Bridgeport Police Department emphasizes that citizens exercise caution and prioritize safety when communicating with persons through the internet," Holtz said.

Joseph was held without bail, and is scheduled to be arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court on Monday.

The arrest of Joseph was the third high-profile sexual assault arrest in the past several weeks by the Bridgeport Police Department.

On Oct. 14, Cordero Javier Greaves, 28, of Bridgeport, was arrested within hours of sexually assaulting a teenage female student while she was walking to school on Railroad Avenue.

And on Nov. 5, Patrick Curry, 44, of Bridgeport, was arrested on a felony warrant in connection with the sexual assault of an 11-year-old. Curry's arrest came during the department's domestic violence sweep code, named Operation Purple Shield.

"The fast deployment of Patrol, Detective Bureau and Emergency Operations resources in such cases is part of the effort under Chief Roderick Porter Sr. to combat sexual and domestic violence in the city and bring perpetrators to justice quickly," Holtz said.