Man allegedly strips, kidnaps girlfriend's child

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) -- Police arrested a 30-year-old after he allegedly stripped naked, snatched his girlfriend's baby and ran through traffic on I-95.

Santos Rodriguez was arrested after the mother of a baby called police Saturday morning around 4 a.m. She said that her boyfriend, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, had run out of her house naked while carrying her naked infant son, police said.

While en route, Officer Jeffrey Holtz was flagged down by a gas station manager who reported seeing a naked man running east on Fairfield Avenue and that he appeared to be carrying something.

Shortly after, police were notified that the state police had Rodriguez and the child on an exit ramp of I-95. Police also learned that Roriguez had run across both the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway while holding the child.

As police arrived, a passing driver pulled over on the ramp to help. Rodriguez opened the passenger door of the car, put the baby on the front seat and sat down on the roadway. He was handcuffed there, police said.

The child was taken to Bridgeport Hospital to be checked out. He didn't suffer serious injuries.

At the hospital the mother told Officer Holtz was happened. She said Rodriguez had come home after a night out and was acting erratically. He has a history of abusing PCP and while stumbling around, he said someone was after him again and that she was the devil and threw a Bible at her.

Police say he then stripped off his clothes, snatched the child from his playpen, began removing the child's clothes and then pushed his way past the mother and ran out of the house.

Rodriguez was charged with first-degree kidnapping, risk of injury to a minor, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

He was held on $100,000 bond.