Alleged Strangler Found by Police Hiding Under Bridge

Waterford Police, hunting an Uncasville man who allegedly strangled, found the 29-year-old hiding under the bridge over Alewife Cove.

On Monday, police charged Timothy Douchette of 69 Sunny Hill Drive with disorderly conduct, second-degree strangulation, interfering with an officer, third-degree criminal mischief, possession of less than half-an-ounce of marijuana and reckless driving. Police said Douchette allegedly strangled his girlfriend when he found a photo another man sent to her on her phone.

Douchette evaded Waterford police and K-9 before being near the Waterford-New London line.

Douchette has a long criminal history, with previous convictions for second-degree accessory to robbery, breach of peace and second-degree threatening. At his first court date, he was held on $30,000 bail and the alleged victim was granted a protective order against him.

The Story

On the morning of March 18, the police received a call for service from the alleged victim’s son at 52 Stoneheights Drive. The call was listed as being for a “physical domestic incident in progress,” according to a police report written by Waterford Police Officer Thomas Veins. Two police officers went to the home, where the son told police that Douchette had already fled the scene in a red pick-up truck, according to the report.

Police interviewed the alleged victim, who said she was dating Douchette, according to the report. She said that morning she took a shower, and during that time Douchette looked through her phone, where he found a photo another man sent her, according to the report.

That caused the two to argue, with the alleged victim saying that Douchette “grabbed her by the neck and backed her against the wall yelling at her,” according to the report. The woman said she never lost consciousness, but said it was difficult to breath, according to the report.

Then, another police officer said he spotted Veins driving his truck on Great Neck Road, according to the report. Waterford officer Andrew Farrior tried to stop Douchette, but the suspect managed to flee in his truck, according to the report.

Farrior later found the truck abandoned at a home on Glenwood Avenue and summoned K-9 to aid in the ultimately unsucessful search for Douchette, according to the report. 

Finally, two Waterford police officers searched under the bridge over Alewife Cove, where they found Douchette hiding, according to the report. Douchette was brought into custody, where he was found to have a small amount of marijuana and a pipe on him, according to the report.

Douchette denied assaulting the alleged victim, according to the report. In an interview with the alleged victim, she reported that he was often physical with her and described him as “very jealous and controlling,” according to the report.

Douchette’s next court appearance is April 4.