Bronx man who allegedly abducted Connecticut woman and baby held on $50,000 bond

A Bronx man who is facing charges after he allegedly abducted his infant daughter and her mother from Ansonia on Saturday was arraigned in Derby on Monday and his bond was set at $50,000.

Joshua Lopez, 23, of 666 Adele Ave. Bronx, appeared before a judge in Derby Superior Court at 2 p.m. and was ordered not to have any contact with his daughter or her mother, who is now only being referred to by her initials “GP” in court records.

A protective order was already in place out of New York City between Lopez and his daughter’s mother when he allegedly grabbed her and demanded that she and his daughter get into his car after he showed up at a family party Saturday and said “I want my daughter,” according to police.

Lopez was arrested in Shelton on Saturday and charged with violating a protective order and with second-degree breach of peace after allegedly driving away with the baby and her mother after telling her to “get in the [expletive car].”

Photos of his 6-month-old daughter and the baby’s 22-year-old mother were distributed throughout the state Saturday evening following reports of an abduction, according to court records and the Ansonia Police Department.

Lopez was arrested in Shelton later that night and his daughter and his mother were found safe, police said.

The mother and baby were initially identified by police while they were searching for them, but their names are now redacted from court records and proceedings. The judge told Lopez he could not contact a woman with the initials “GP” or her minor child — Lopez at first said the initials “GP’ were not familiar to him, but later said he knew who the judge was talking about and said he has known his child’s mother since they were in grade school.

The judge on Monday imposed a Connecticut protective order and acknowledged that Lopez appeared to be visibly distraught over the idea of not being able to see his daughter.

“I can’t see my child?” Lopez asked the judge. “How can I go about that?”

The judge said that the conditions of the protective order between Lopez, his child and her mother could potentially be modified at a future court date but as of Monday, he was not to have any contact with either of them.

Lopez, who appeared in court in red and black athletic shorts, a white T-shirt and handcuffs, hung his head.

Ansonia police on Saturday were asking community members and law enforcement agencies across the state to be on the look out for the young mother and infant who were found safe a few hours later. Police at the time believed Lopez was driving a four-door silver Honda Accord registered in Massachusetts and was headed for New York, they said.

. A prosecutor said in court Monday that Lopez has a pending case out of New York City involving a third-degree assault charge, for which he is scheduled to appear in court in September.

The state also told the judge that the alleged abduction is still under investigation and more charges may be filed against Lopez.

On Saturday evening, a woman called police to report that her sister and niece had allegedly been abducted. She told police that the two were at a family party when Lopez showed up and said “I want my daughter,” according to an arraignment report and affidavit for Lopez.

Lopez was “combative” and “irate” according to the arraignment report and affidavit and said “I want my daughter, give me my daughter.”

As family members tried to calm Lopez down he allegedly said “I don’t want to [expletive] leave, give me my [expletive] daughter.”

Family members allegedly reminded Lopez of the active protective order out of New York, telling him that he could not take the 6-month-old.

Lopez allegedly responded by saying “so come at me, don’t tell me what to [expletive] do” and said “oh you guys want to act like that now watch what I’m going to do.” He then allegedly moved to grab something from the trunk of the vehicle he was driving, records show.

Lopez then allegedly got into the driver’s seat, leaned over the passenger seat and grabbed his child’s mother and told her to “get in the [expletive] car.”

The woman, holding their baby, got into the car and Lopez drove away.

Shelton police located Lopez in his vehicle and took him into custody a few hours later and he was taken to Ansonia police.

Lopez was appointed a public defender on Monday, who asked that Lopez be released on a promise to appear. A state prosecutor suggested a bond of $75,000, telling the judge that Lopez resides out of state and has no ties to the community.

His defense lawyer said that though he does not have family or support in Connecticut, his family lives in the Bronx and he could easily travel from the Bronx to Connecticut for his court dates.

The judge said that given the details in the police report that outline an alleged abduction, Lopez’s lack of ties to the community and his flight risk, his bond would be set at $50,000.

The judge also imposed conditions that if he were released on bond, he would have to cooperate with the Department of Children and Families. He was also ordered to surrender any firearms within 48 hours under the newly filed order of protection.

He is scheduled to appear in court next in Derby in October.