Woman’s screams alerted witnesses to alleged attack

NEW CANAAN — A usually quiet Valley Road has seen more activity with walkers, bikers and joggers since the coronavirus has kept most people home.

This is where a Norwalk man has been accused of hitting a woman with his car before trying to drown her in a shallow area of the Silvermine River.

Mynor Romeo AlvaradoCanahui, 31, has been charged with attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. He is being held in lieu of $750,000 bond following the Memorial Day incident.

“The incident on Monday is exceptionally rare. During my career, I don’t recall a similar incident,” said New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, who has 31 years on the force and nearly seven as chief.

When another woman heard about the arrest and saw a picture of AlvaradoCanahui, she realized the same man struck her with his car last month in Darien, police said Wednesday.

Darien police said a woman reported a similar incident happened to her near the intersection of Hollow Tree Ridge Road and Camp Avenue in April. She said the car involved was also a red Honda Civic, and she identified Alvarado-Canahui as the driver once she saw his photo, police said.

The woman said she was running northbound on Hollow Tree Ridge Road around noon on April 17 when the Civic traveling in the southbound lane crossed the road, striking her with the side-view mirror, police said.

The car paused momentarily and the driver made eye contact with the woman before driving away, police said.

A similar, but more serious, incident occurred Monday afternoon in New Canaan where police say the victim was likely saved by witnesses who rushed to her aid.

“We did hear her scream,” Jane Cullen, a resident of nearby Pond View Lane, said Wednesday. “She was just walking, like I am doing now.”

Valley Road is winding and rural with large homes guarded by electronic gates, with well-manicured lawns and private tennis courts.

Silvermine River runs along the road, which is close to the dam for the Norwalk Reservoir.

“It is so busy since the COVID. So many people walk on the road all the time now,” Cullen said. “Prior to COVID, I would walk up here and not see anyone.”

The area of the river where police said the incident occurred is only a few feet from the road, although it’s not visible since it is down a slight embankment.

A couple “heard the woman screaming and they luckily ran down to her,” Cullen said.

A witness called 911 about 4:10 p.m. Monday, reporting that a man was trying to drown a woman in the river, New Canaan police said.

According to police, the incident began as the woman was walking south on the northbound side of Valley Road. The Honda driven by Alvarado-Canahui passed her several times, she told police. The woman told investigators she thought the driver might be lost, and said she remembered the first two letters of the license plate. Those letters matched the plates on Alvarado-Canahui’s Civic, police said.

The woman was struck from behind by the vehicle, which crossed the doubleyellow line and was traveling south in the northbound lane, police said.

Alvarado-Canahui stopped and a struggle ensued as he attempted to put her into the back of his vehicle, police said.

When he was unable to get the woman into the car, police said, Alvarado-Canahui dragged her down a nearby embankment, where he attempted to drown her by holding her head under the water, police said.

“Very brave neighbors,” Cullen said, “rushed over and helped her out of the water.”