Milford Schools Custodian Told 10-Year-Old Girl "I Found You" In an Unwanted Note

More details are emerging over Milford schools custodian, Robert Rua, 55, of New Haven Avenue, who was arrested for allegedly leaving unwanted notes and gifts in the desk of a 10-year-old Orchard Hills Elementary School student.

According to a police arrest warrant for Rua, he allegedly left a small drum on the girl’s desk on the first day of school with a small note that stated “I found you.” He then left a windup bumblebee toy inside her desk as well.

The notes and gifts continued even after the student demanded they stop in writing, police said.

One of the notes left for the girl, according to NBC Connecticut and the Connecticut Post stated: “Hi-U-LOL Wasn’t shore u could read my writing was trying to disguise it in case some one found my note. Hope u liked the drum I made 4 u. Got ur note I like blue, red, purple, orange, green. like Taylor Swift, I have the 6 of her songs in my ipod and I like Avril Lauigne, do u have a I Pod,? O and Frozen I loved that movie saw it 3 times, let it go, summer. Don’t want anyone to ruin it 4 us. Don’t want to loose my job. Be in big trouble Just remember when u hold that drum between the palms of ur hand and rub them together the sound you will hear is the beating of my heart. NO NAMES. Don’t forget to dispose of. Throw out tear up no one nos’ we have a good thing lets keep it that way. Flush in toilet.”

Rua has been placed on administrative leave pending the Police Department’s investigation.

School officials said in a release say Rua never contacted the student face-to-face.

On September 9 the Milford Board of Education received a complaint from a grammar school student that she was receiving notes and gifts on her desk from an unknown person who was trying to develop a personal relationship with her, police said.

The Board of Education administrators contacted the Police Department to conduct an investigation because the writing and content of the written communication appeared to be that of an adult, police said.

The Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit was assigned the case and determined that the notes and gifts were being left since the beginning of the school year and that the student only reported it to her parents, police said.

The student left a note on her desk instructing whoever was leaving the notes and gifts to stop, however the communications and gifts continued, police said. She then reported it to the school administrators on Tuesday.

Through investigation, Rua, who is employed as a school custodian, was developed as a suspect, police said. Police obtained a search warrant for Rua’s residence and executed it on Tuesday.

The search resulted in police locating items of a similar nature that were left for the student in Rua’s home, police said. Police developed enough information linking Rua to the incident which resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for him and he was taken into custody without incident.

He was charged with risk of injury to a minor, second-degree harassment, and disorderly conduct. He was held in lieu of $50,000 bond.