West Haven Man Violated Protective Order More than 500 Times: State Police

WEST HAVEN, CT — A West Haven man has been charged with more than 500 counts of violating a protective order for communicating with his girlfriend over the phone while he was incarcerated at the Bridgeport Correctional Center, according to state police.

Derek Person, 30, of Washington Avenue in West Haven, was arrested in Milford Superior Court on Aug. 10 while appearing for another case. He was charged with 113 counts of criminal violation of a protective order and was held on a $100,000 bond.

Person, the subject of two protective orders, is accused to making 113 calls to the person protected by the order from June 11, 2015 to July 16, 2015.

Person was also charged with 395 counts of violation of a protective order stemming from an arrest warrant. He was also issued a $100,000 bond for those charges.

Between Sept. 7, 2015 and Dec. 28, 2015, Person is accused of making 395 phone calls to the victim, according to state police.

The calls were made to Person’s girlfriend, who told police that she never actually wanted a protective order against Person, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The victim’s mother initially contacted Milford Police, telling them that Person calls her daughter even though the protective order states he is to have no contact with her.

The mother also told police that her daughter has used a fake name to visit Person while he is incarcerated, according to the arrest warrant.

The 28-year-old victim told police that she has been dating Person for four years and they were involved in a domestic incident that Person was arrested for and went to jail.

The protective order was put in place, but she said she never actually wanted it. She also told police that she knowingly put and continues to put money on Person’s jail account so that they can continue to communicate.

She also said that she has written more than 10 letters to the Victim’s Advocate in an attempt to cancel the protective order, but they continued to get denied.

Pictured: Derek Person, 29, of West Haven / Connecticut State Police