Mexican: Suspect in 'appalling' rape of elderly woman at CT housing authority property rejects plea offer

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Senior Reporter

Suspect in 'appalling' rape of elderly woman at CT housing authority property rejects plea offer​

Ethan Fry
March 4, 2023

During Thursday’s hearing, State’s Attorney Margaret Kelley said she had met with the victim and her family last week to discuss an offer she had made in the case calling for Morales to be sentenced to a 30-year prison sentence to be suspended after he serves 20 years behind bars if he pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree sexual assault and home invasion.
Morales’ lawyer, Public Defender John Walkley, said he spoke with Morales Wednesday about the offer and that his client was “hoping for a further reduction in the kind of time he was facing. However, I don’t believe the state is in a position to be able to offer less time than what I discussed with Mr. Morales.”
“Giani, is that still the case?” Walkley asked.
“Yeah,” Morales said. “I asked if we could meet somewhere and be able to reason somewhere in between at least.”
Kelley said she and Walkley had discussions about whether the offer could be reduced to 18 years of prison time, which she said was “certainly feasible,” but Morales did not accept it.
“I’ll place the matter on the trial list effective today,” the judge said.
According to a police report in the case, after the sexual assault, the victim said she eventually persuaded Morales to let her open the door to let her dog, who had been locked outside, back into the home. Instead, she made a run for it and yelled for someone to call police from the lobby.
The report said police found Morales passed out inside the woman’s home, where he was taken into custody.
Following the incident, residents of the Oak Street apartment building said they had been complaining of lax security there for years, to no avail.
Housing authority officials promised to increase safety and security at the property in response.
Ethan.Fry@heartsmediact.com
During Thursday’s hearing, State’s Attorney Margaret Kelley said she had met with the victim and her family last week to discuss an offer she had made in the case calling for Morales to be sentenced to a 30-year prison sentence to be suspended after he serves 20 years behind bars if he pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree sexual assault and home invasion.
Morales’ lawyer, Public Defender John Walkley, said he spoke with Morales Wednesday about the offer and that his client was “hoping for a further reduction in the kind of time he was facing. However, I don’t believe the state is in a position to be able to offer less time than what I discussed with Mr. Morales.”
“Giani, is that still the case?” Walkley asked.
“Yeah,” Morales said. “I asked if we could meet somewhere and be able to reason somewhere in between at least.”
Kelley said she and Walkley had discussions about whether the offer could be reduced to 18 years of prison time, which she said was “certainly feasible,” but Morales did not accept it.
“I’ll place the matter on the trial list effective today,” the judge said.
According to a police report in the case, after the sexual assault, the victim said she eventually persuaded Morales to let her open the door to let her dog, who had been locked outside, back into the home. Instead, she made a run for it and yelled for someone to call police from the lobby.
The report said police found Morales passed out inside the woman’s home, where he was taken into custody.
Following the incident, residents of the Oak Street apartment building said they had been complaining of lax security there for years, to no avail.
Housing authority officials promised to increase safety and security at the property in response.
Ethan.Fry@heartsmediact.com
 
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