Kidnapping suspect's bid to flee into Canada thwarted by lack of Covid-19 test

[janterry]

A man stopped at the Canadian border for lack of a Covid-19 test has been accused of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl from Connecticut, sexually assaulting her and trying to sneak her across the border.

Christopher Constanzo, 19, of Connecticut made an initial court appearance Friday on the federal kidnapping charge. Constanzo appeared at the hearing in federal court in Burlington by video from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans.

Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle agreed to a request from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher to hold Constanzo in custody until a hearing next week. Attorney Sara Puls, a federal public defender representing Constanzo, did not object to the prosecutor’s request.

According to an affidavit filed in court by Chris Herzog, a special agent with federal Homeland Security Investigations, Constanzo tried to enter Canada Thursday morning through a border crossing at Highgate Springs in Vermont, driving the kidnapped girl’s Toyota Camry, which he had stolen, and with the girl in the back seat of the car, tied up with shoelaces.

https://vtdigger.org/2021/12/03/kidnapping-suspects-bid-to-flee-into-canada-thwarted-by-lack-of-covid-19-test/

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. It is horrific what narcissistic stupidity does. . . . .nt

[left-of-center2012]

2. It was the lack of a test that stopped him?

Not the tied up girl in the backseat?

[janterry]

3. IKR!

n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Not clear. Reading the article btwn lines, seems she was told to "go along with" whatever guy said

... and she was not tied up. Or maybe there was a blanket over her hands or feet. But it had probably not got to the point of actually looking in the back.

The first thing would have been to ask about Covid status.

The vehicle was stopped upon return to the US. The Canadians may have called to alert them that something was off/odd. Because after all, being turned around for lack of a test would not be strange.

"Hi there. How many in the vehicle?"

"Two, sir."

"Do both of you have Covid test results?"

"Uhm, no."

"You will have to turn around and come back later with test results. Good day, sir."

[left-of-center2012]

5. Not clear ?

The OP says tied up with shoelaces.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Not clear. The article is self-contradictory. Said one shoelace out of shoe. On the back seat.

Herzog wrote in the affidavit that a search of the vehicle revealed a shoe missing a shoelace, a single shoelace on the back seat and strands of the teen’s hair in the trunk.

She was tied at one point, but apparently not when going through either border crossing station.

[paleotn]

8. Only one shoelace, per the report.

Tied her ankles together? Hard to see from outside the car. You can't do much tying up with one shoelace.

Herzog wrote in the affidavit that a search of the vehicle revealed a shoe missing a shoelace, a single shoelace on the back seat and strands of the teen’s hair in the trunk.

[secondwind]

6. OMG....................

[Traildogbob]

7. Exactly what

I thought would happen to school murderers parent’s if they attempted to flee into Canada. You can be sure those Trump humping brain cell deprived idiots are not vaxed. Are vaccines mandated in Jail?????

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Hmm...too bad we can't tie mandatory Covid tests to gun purchases.