Man Robs, Assaults and Held 3 People Captive in Motel Room: Branford Police

BRANFORD, CT — A West Haven man is accused of entering a hotel room he wasn't invited into and robbing, assaulting and holding three people captive, police said.

Branford police said officers arrested Christopher Pruitt, 37, of Park Street, West Haven, after he assaulted and held three people against their will on New Year’s Eve day. At 4 a.m. on New Year's Eve police responded to a 9-11 hang-up call at Motel 6, 320 East Main Street. Lt. Patrick O’Malley, who commands the midnight shift, said that responding officers originally located three males and two females in the motel room, police said.

During their initial response, officers were told that a minor dispute had occurred and officers left the motel without any further action, police said. It wasn’t until a second report from an occupant in the room that Officer Ryan Gotowala, who investigated the incident, learned that Pruitt and a friend had originally entered the room, uninvited and robbed, assaulted and held the two woman and their male acquaintance captive, police said in a news release.

Police arrested Pruitt and he was taken into custody, however the man who originally entered the room with Pruitt had since left prior to the officer’s seconds arrival, police said.

Pruitt was charged with first-degree robbery, breach of peace, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, interfering with a 911 call, second-degree strangulation, sixth-degree larceny, and three counts of first-degree unlawful restraint. Pruitt is being held on a $100,000 bond and will be arraigned in New Haven Court on Tuesday, January 3.

Image via the Branford Police Department