Man Who Terrorized Ex-Girlfriend Nabbed In the Act

After a lengthy manhunt, East Haven police caught up with a man who had been terrorizing a Center Street woman, according to Deputy Chief John Mannion. Edison Vidro, 21, of New Haven, was arrested March 3 while driving to the woman’s -- his ex-girlfriend’s -- home.

Vidro had reportedly been threatening the woman for weeks, including leaving a message late last month that there was a bomb in her house. Officers had responded to family violence complaints from the victim against Vidro on Feb. 20, 23 and 28 and March 3. In each case, Vidro had called or texted his ex-girlfriend leaving threatening messages while there was a protective order out against him.

The bomb scare happened on Feb. 23, according to Mannion. Vidro left a message for the Center Street woman that there was an explosive in her home. This brought in the New Haven Police Bomb Squad, which assisted local cops in searching the premises. They reported finding nothing.

The East Haven Police Department on March 3 filed four arrest warrants for family violence on Vidro; four others for failure to appear had already been filed on him – two from East Haven and two from New Haven.

On the day of the arrest, March 3, local cops spent “several exhaustive hours searching for Mr. Vidro in town as well as in several surrounding communities. The officers were monitoring his whereabouts through signals from his cell phone to cell towers,” said Mannion.

Around 11:10 p.m., Vidro was apprehended in his car en route to the Center Street house. Officers found less than four ounces of marijuana in his vehicle and took him into custody.

“A contingent of dedicated police officers was involved in this arrest,” said Mannion. “They did an excellent job and they should be commended for their efforts.”

Vidro was charged with three counts of failure to appear in the first degree, one count of failure to appear in the second; four counts of criminal violation of a protective order; one count of threatening in the first degree, three counts of threatening in the second; one count of breach of peace in the first degree; one count of harassment in the second degree; interfering with police; and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana.

Vidro was held on a $832,500 bond and arraigned in court on March 4, at which time his bond was increased to a million dollars.