Abductor caught in car with pants down

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- An East Haven man was arrested after kidnapping a woman at gunpoint in New Haven Saturday and asking her to perform a sex act.

Just before 6 a.m., New Haven police responded to the area of Grand Avenue and Franklin Street.

According to police, a man reported that his girlfriend, who had been driving a blue Honda, sent him a text message saying, "Help." The woman continued to periodically indicate her location via texts.

The woman's boyfriend told police he had previously gotten a call from the 26-year-old Wallingford woman, saying she was having car trouble, but thought she would be alright to make it home.

When the woman's boyfriend didn't hear from her, he drove to New Haven to look for her.

Around 7 a.m., the boyfriend called police to tell them he had received another text indicating that his girlfriend and her abductor were on Grand Avenue traveling west near Hamilton Street.

The boyfriend spotted the car a short time later on Wooster Place. As police closed in, they passed his car as he frantically pointed to the Honda in front of him.

When the officers stopped the car, the woman jumped out screaming, "help me," and ran crying toward her boyfriend.

Police approached the vehicle with their weapons drawn to find the suspect with his pants and underwear around his ankles.

After initially resisting arrest, Albert Leclaire, 43, of Massachusetts Ave., East Haven, was placed in the back of a cruiser.

Police called in an ambulance for the woman, who had visible marks on her arm from where Leclaire had been grabbing her.

The woman told police that after leaving work, she was driving on Brewery Street when she saw Leclaire waving. She thought he might need help, but when she stopped he told her that he had a gun and got into the car. She told police they then drove around Fair Haven, stopping several times at ATM's to get money, and after each time, drove to the Franklin Street Public Housing Complex to buy drugs.

She said he also asked her to perform a sex act, which she refused.

When police searched the vehicle they found multiple bags of crack.

Leclaire proceeded to tell police that he was having chest pains because he'd smoked "too much crack."

Leclaire was charged with second-degree kidnapping with a firearm, first-degree robbery, robbery involving an occupied motor vehicle, second-degree larceny, third-degree criminal attempt to commit sexual assault, third-degree assault, interfering with police, and four drug-related charges.