The investigative efforts of Easton Police Det. Kent Lyman and members of the Easton and Fairfield police departments led to the collection of evidence against a Fairfield man suspected of involvement in two reported sexual assault incidents, according to Capt. Jonathan Arnold, public information officer for the Easton Police Department.
Joseph Kolenda, 64, of Fairfield, was arrested and charged with sexual assault in the third degree and robbery in the second degree in connection with one of the incidents, which allegedly occurred on Nov. 4, 2024. His bond was set at $100,000. He was unable to make bond and was taken to Bridgeport Superior Court for arraignment on April 1. Kolenda remains in custody, according to police.
Easton police said they are continuing to process evidence related to the second incident and are working with other police departments to determine whether there may be additional reports linked to Kolenda, Arnold stated.
The first incident was reported on Nov. 4, 2024, around 10:31 a.m., when the Easton Police Department received a call from a resident reporting that a woman, who did not speak English, was knocking on her door asking for help. According to police, the woman alleged that she was held against her will at knifepoint, had her phone stolen, was sexually assaulted before being dropped off at the end of Riverside Drive, a dead-end road in Easton.
The woman told police that she had been picked up in Bridgeport by a man who said he had work for her cleaning houses. She reported fighting off the suspect and escaping, according to the police report.
The second incident was reported on March 25, at about 10 a.m. The Easton Police Department received a 911 call from a woman who reported that she had been held against her will, assaulted and dropped at the intersection of Morehouse Road and Reilly Road in Easton.
With the help of a police translator, investigators learned that the victim had also been picked up in Bridgeport under the pretense of being hired to clean a home. According to police, the male driver drove her around before attempting to sexually assault her. The woman told police she managed to take a photo of the suspect’s license plate and was later taken to a local hospital for evaluation of minor injuries.
Evidence collected in both incidents by Lyman and members of the Easton and Fairfield police linked a suspect, lated identified as Joseph Kolenda, to the crime, Arnold said. Members of the Fairfield Police Department located Kolenda on March 31 at 6:15 p.m. and turned him over to Easton police on a warrant for the first incident.
Anyone with additional information or video related to either incident is encouraged to contact Det. Kent Lyman at Klyman@eastonctpolice.com or call the Easton Police Department at 203-268-4111.
