A man was apprehended at the Canadian border on Christmas Eve after allegedly trying to kill his ex-wife in Bridgeport a day earlier.
Investigators allege that 33-year-old Joao Victor Borges De Queiroz was lying in wait and hiding in the trunk of his ex-wife’s car when she left for work on Tuesday, according to Det. Jeffrey Holtz of the Bridgeport Police Department.
Holtz said Borges De Queiroz pushed down the rear seat of the car and allegedly fired a shot at her. The bullet went through the front windshield and narrowly missed the 33-year-old woman, according to Holtz.
Police believe Borges De Queiroz then choked the woman from behind as she tried to drive to safety, Holtz said. She was eventually able to get the gun away from him and throw it out the window, according to Holtz.
The woman was able to fight her way out of the car at the intersection of Orange Street and Central Avenue where Borges De Queiroz allegedly continued to assault her, Holtz said. She was eventually able to run to a nearby house for help, according to Holtz.
Investigators were able to recover video that captured “much of the incident,” Holtz said. The gun and the woman’s car were recovered by investigators.
Borges De Queiroz was initially stopped by Canadian officers at the Vermont border in the overnight hours on Wednesday, Holtz said. He was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol after Bridgeport police obtained a warrant for his arrest.
The warrant charges Borges De Queiroz with criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, first-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree stalking, third-degree assault and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Borges De Queiroz was held on a $1 million bond while he awaits extradition to Connecticut, according to Holtz.
“The quick capture of Borges De Queiroz was the result of a cohesive collaboration between the Bridgeport Police Department’s Patrol Division, Domestic Violence Unit, Warrants Unit and Homicide Unit, as well as United States Federal Law Enforcement and Canadian Law Enforcement,” Holtz said in a statement.