NEW HAVEN, CT — Police in New Haven say a man was charged with kidnapping a 5-year-old boy after allegedly taking the child from a bus stop, threatening the boy’s mother, and warning that he would crash his vehicle to avoid officers.

According to New Haven police, the child was recovered after a multi-agency response that included the department’s Special Victims Unit, the Crisis Negotiation Team, and an AMBER Alert. Investigators said the suspect, Christopher Rodriguez, later was found at a hotel in Branford and taken into custody on Sept. 17.

He is accused of first-degree kidnapping, risk of injury to a minor, two counts of second-degree breach of peace, and fugitive from justice. Police said his bond was set at $300,000.

Police say argument in another town led to the child being taken

New Haven police said the case began after Rodriguez and the boy’s mother got into an argument in another town on Sept. 14. The mother told police that Rodriguez then left her, drove to New Haven, and picked up her 5-year-old son at a bus stop.

Police said Rodriguez was not the child’s father. After the mother contacted him and asked him to bring the boy back, investigators said he refused.

That refusal quickly escalated the situation. Police said the mother then sought help, prompting the abduction report and the response that followed. The child’s age and the location where he was taken were central to the urgency of the case, officials said.

Threats to the mother and child prompted an AMBER Alert

Police said Rodriguez threatened the boy’s mother after she tried to get her son back. According to investigators, he told her that if she called police, he would lead officers on a pursuit and kill both her and the child.

Those threats helped trigger the AMBER Alert, police said. Detectives and negotiators then worked to contact Rodriguez and persuade him to give up the boy without further harm.

During those conversations, police said Rodriguez made statements suggesting he believed officers were following him. He also repeatedly threatened to intentionally crash his vehicle, according to investigators. Police did not say anyone was physically hurt during the incident.

Detectives say negotiators convinced Rodriguez to release the boy in Bridgeport

New Haven police said the child was eventually turned over to a tow truck driver in Bridgeport. Investigators said Rodriguez directed the driver to bring the boy back to New Haven, and that officers were able to secure the child’s release through negotiation.

The use of a tow truck driver in the handoff added another unusual detail to the case, but police said the main goal throughout was to get the boy back safely. Officials said the child was recovered as detectives continued coordinating the response.

Police have not said why Rodriguez chose Bridgeport for the transfer or how long the child remained with him before being released. What investigators did say is that the child was recovered after efforts involving both detectives and the Crisis Negotiation Team.

Rodriguez was arrested at a Branford hotel three days later

Police said Rodriguez was not arrested immediately after the boy was returned. Instead, investigators located him on Sept. 17 at a hotel in Branford and took him into custody there.

His arrest came after police said they were able to identify him as the suspect in the kidnapping case and connect him to the threats made during the incident. The department has not said whether he tried to flee after the child was recovered.

Authorities said Rodriguez also had several outstanding arrest warrants. One of those was tied to a New York state parole violation stemming from an underlying second-degree murder charge, according to police.

Charges, warrants and bond reflect a broader criminal history

Rodriguez now faces multiple charges in Connecticut, including first-degree kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor. Police also charged him with two counts of second-degree breach of peace and as a fugitive from justice.

In addition to the Connecticut case, police said the outstanding warrants included a New York state parole violation connected to the earlier murder charge. That detail increased the seriousness of the case and helped explain why his bond was set at $300,000.

Police have not provided additional court dates or said how the Connecticut charges will proceed alongside the other warrants. For now, the case centers on the alleged abduction of a 5-year-old, the threats made during the pursuit, and the child’s recovery after a rapid police response.