Warrant: Trumbull man accused of sexual assault in Newtown
NEWTOWN — The Trumbull man charged last week with second-degree sexual assault is accused of sexually assaulting a man he met at a local bar, according to recently obtained court documents.
Shawn Santoro, 33, was arrested on the class C felony charge Jan. 14, following a several-month investigation into a reported sexual assault. He was released after posting a $100,000 professional surety bond and scheduled to be arraigned in Danbury Superior Court Feb. 1
According to the warrant for Santoro’s arrest, Newtown police responded to a report of “an upset male party in possible trouble” on Arlyn Ridge Road during the early morning hours of Sept. 4.
Upon arrival, authorities found a 33-year-old man sitting near a mailbox who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a man he met at a bar earlier in the night. Police later determined that the man was Santoro.
The complainant told police he had some beers at the bar and must have blacked out because the next thing he knew, he was being sexually assaulted in a pickup truck, according to the Warrant.
The complainant told police he did not consent to any sexual acts with the man and once he realized what was going on, he told the man he had a knife, got out of the truck and the man drove off., the warrant stated.
A sexual assault kit was performed on the complainant and blood work showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.197 percent, according to police.
Police spoke to two bar employees — one of whom was a bartender, who recalled seeing the complainant and Santoro talking at the bar. She described both men as regulars at the bar, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
The bartender told police that despite only having a few beers, the complainant “appeared extremely intoxicated” — which she said was unusual considering he had been to the bar multiple times before and consumed the same amount but never acted that way, the warrant continued.
She told police the complainant and Santoro left the bar together shortly before 1 a.m.
A bouncer who had been working that night told police he saw Santoro and the complainant leave the bar and walk to a pickup truck in the parking lot. The bouncer’s description of the truck matched that of one owned by Santoro, according to police.
According to police, the complainant said in a follow up interview he didn’t remember getting into the man’s truck or how he got to Arlyn Ridge Road. He told police he came to after feeling pain from the man sexually assaulting him.
Once he got out of the truck and the man drove away, the complainant said he called his parents, who called Newtown police.
The complainant also told police he believed his ball cap and Snuff container may still be in the man’s truck. After obtaining a warrant to search Santoro’s pickup truck
Sept. 5, police said they found both items inside the vehicle.
Police said Santoro admitted to meeting the complainant at the bar and offering to give him a ride home, but did not mention anything about the alleged sexual assault.
According to the warrant for his arrest, Santoro told police the complainant claimed to live on Arlyn Ridge Road. When they got to the end of the road, Santoro allegedly said that the complainant “started acting strange and yelling at him” before jumping out of his truck.
Police said the complainant does not and never has lived on Arlyn Ridge Road.
Santoro’s DNA was found to have a high match percentage to DNA obtained during the complainant’s sexual assault examination, according to police.
Based on the physical evidence and statements from the complainant and bar employees, police concluded there was probable cause to charge Santoro and obtained a warrant for his arrest.