The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Father of Shelton murder suspect charged with DUI
The father of a Milford teenager accused of stabbing a Fairfield Prep student to death in Shelton last May was charged this month with drunk driving in Branford after police said he skipped out on a $400 dinner bill.
The man, 50-year-old Raul Valle, faces three counts of operating under the influence with a passenger under 18 years old, failure to take a sobriety test, reckless driving, improper passing, and failure to grant the right of way in connection with the Feb. 9 incident.
Valle is the father of 17year-old Raul Eliah Valle, who is accused of murder and three counts of firstdegree assault in connection with the May 14 homicide of Fairfield Prep student James McGrath at a Shelton house party.
A police report in the father’s case said a teenage son of Valle’s was in the car with him at the time, though the name and birthdate of the passengers in the vehicle are redacted. Sources said the teenager in question was a different son of Valle’s, whose first name is also Raul, but is a year older than the murder suspect.
Kevin Smith, a lawyer who represents both the 17-year-old Valle, as well as the 50-year-old Valle in a pending drunk driving arrest in New Britain Superior Court, said Thursday he had not been aware of the father’s recent arrest, and declined further comment.
According to a police report, a Branford cop was driving on East Main Street near the entrance to the 9 East restaurant about 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9
when an SUV sped out of the parking lot and cut off the officer’s cruiser while making a left-hand turn.
The vehicle then crossed over into the opposite lane of traffic and passed three vehicles stopped at an intersection before turning into a parking lot when the officer activated his lights and siren.
Valle, described as “aggravated,” then allegedly got out of the passenger’s side of the SUV and approached the officer, saying that he had been driving the vehicle but that he and an adult woman passenger had switched seats before stopping.
“While briefly speaking with the male, I could clearly hear that his speech was slurred and I could smell a distinct odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person,” the report, written by Officer Bret Johnson, said.
Though the five passengers in the vehicle initially gave conflicting information, they eventually said the elder Valle, who the officer handcuffed and detained in his cruiser, had been behind the wheel.
While conducting the motor vehicle stop, the police report says an employee of the restaurant called police to say the occupants of the vehicle had left the
business without paying a bill of $402.49, and that they had served Valle two alcoholic drinks.
The report said Valle yelled, “refused to calm down,” said the cop had detained him illegally and “did not like him because he was Hispanic.” Still, he allowed officers to use a credit card from his wallet to pay the restaurant bill.
The report said Valle refused to blow into a Breathalyzer or perform field sobriety tests.
The incident was also reported to the Department of Children and Families because there were children under 16 years old in the vehicle, according to the report.
Valle posted a $4,000 bond after being charged and is due in New Haven Superior Court Wednesday.
He also faces charges of drunk driving in a construction zone and 13 counts of endangering a highway worker in connection to a June 29, 2022 arrest by a state trooper in the Hartford area. Details of that incident were not immediately available Friday, and Valle is due at Superior Court in New Britain on April 3 in that case.