Uncle Arrested In Middletown Amber Alert Case: Police

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The uncle of a 4-year-old Middletown boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert has been arrested in connection with the case, according to multiple reports.

WTNH News 8 reports Mario Jenkins, 31, of New Britain, was arrested by New Britain police and charged with risk of injury to a child.

Jenkins had been babysitting his 4-year-old nephew at his home in New Britain over the weekend and police said he asked a friend, who was a known drug addict, to watch him, according to WTNH.

Jenkins originally told police the friend, Stephanie Fonda, took his car and the boy out without his permission while he was sleeping, WTNH reported. However, he later said he asked her to babysit and she was supposed to pick him up at work around 10 p.m. on Monday but never showed up.

Middletown police were alerted around 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday that the boy was missing, according to Lt. Brian Hubbs. The boy was found safe later that night at the 5th Avenue Motel at 1695 Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield.

The New Haven Register reports Stephanie Ford, 39, told police that while she had the boy, she picked up her husband from a hospital emergency room after he “escaped a halfway house.”

Stephanie Fonda and David Fonda then bought drugs and “got high” and brought the child with them to the motel, according to the Register.

Wethersfield police received two separate 911 calls reporting the vehicle mentioned in the Amber Alert was parked and unoccupied at the motel, according to Wethersfield Police Lt. Donald Crabtree.

Crabtree said officers from both the Wethersfield and New Britain police departments responded to the motel.

Wethersfield police found the vehicle and officers received a report of people possibly in the large wooded area behind the property. A Wethersfield K-9 officer was at the scene and as he began his search, two adults were found about 20 yards into the woods, according to Crabtree.

The boy was also found with Stephanie and David Fonda. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and the two adults were taken into custody without incident, according to Crabtree.

David Fonda was arrested by Wethersfield police and charged with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree reckless endangerment. Stephanie Fonda was turned over to the Rocky Hill Police Department on an active arrest warrant, according to Crabtree.

Read more at WTNH News 8 here and the New Haven Register here.