Man In Truck With Maine Plates Trying To Entice Minors Charged: NHPD

NEW HAVEN, CT — Late last Friday, New Haven police alerted the community to be on the lookout for a blue Chevy Silverado with Maine tags driven by a man in his 40s "trying to entice minors inside," in an Instagram post.

Three days later, police reported that in April 2024, the New Haven Police Department began investigating a case regarding sexual assaults that happened around 10 years ago when a victim was a minor, police said.

New Haven police Special Victims Unit Detective Samantha Romano was able to secure an arrest warrant Friday for Michael Dewitt, 45, of Seymour. He was charged with two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a minor.

Police said that Dewitt was also being investigated by the Waterbury Police Department for an incident which occurred in their city on last week, police said.

"Their investigation suggested he might be in the New Haven area, and they requested that pictures of his vehicle be shared locally to warn the public that he may be looking to entice minors into his truck," police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart said. Friday night, Oct. 11, at 11:45 p.m., West Haven police found Dewitt at a hotel and took him into custody, transferring him to New Haven.

Dewitt was held on a $50,000 bond, and he was arraigned in New Haven Superior Court Tuesday. Following his arraignment, he will be transferred to the Waterbury Police Department, who have an arrest warrant for him as well.

"Our foremost concerns are with the victims of Michael Dewitt and we hope his arrest brings them some consolation," New Haven Chief of Police Karl Jacobson said. "Crimes against the most vulnerable members of our community are especially heinous, and I would like to recognize the collaborative work done by the Waterbury, New Haven, and West Haven police departments who worked together to bring this person to justice."