Norwalk man faces plea deal on sex assault charges
STAMFORD — A 42-year-old Norwalk man accused of sexually assaulting two girls under the age of 12 would face at least 15 years in prison if he accepts a disposition agreement offered by the state in the case.
As a part of the deal, Antonio Lazaro Torres-Rodriguez would plead guilty to two counts each of first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in exchange for a 25-year jail sentence, suspended after 15 years, Assistant State’s Attorney Michelle Manning said. The offer would also include 25 years of probation, she said during a hearing Monday in state Superior Court in Stamford.
Brittany Paz, Torres-Rodriguez’s lawyer, said at that hearing that her client is also facing mandatory deportation if he accepts the offer.
Torres-Rodriguez is charged with two counts each of first-degree sexual assault of a person under 12 years old, risk of injury to a minor and intentional cruelty to persons for what Manning described as the ongoing sexual assault of his girlfriend’s two daughters.
The sexual assault began when the older of the two girls was 5 years old, Manning said. Torres-Rodriguez sexually assaulted the girl on a nearly weekly basis until she was about 14, Manning said.
In 2013, Torres-Rodriguez allegedly began sexually assaulting the girl’s 11-year-old sister, too, Manning said.
The two sisters reported the alleged abuse to police in December 2014. Manning said the claims were later corroborated with DNA evidence collected from one of the girls.
Torres-Rodriguez was apprehended in May 2018 after nearly four years on the run, following an arrest on a drunken driving charge in Orlando, Fla. He was extradited to Connecticut and has been held on $1 million bond.
About half-way through Torres-Rodriguez’s hearing on Monday, Paz stipulated that her client would be entering Alford pleas to the charges — a guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but admits that the evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict if brought to trial.
Manning, after hearing Paz attempt to enter Alford pleas, immediately moved to withdraw the offer. Paz then said her client, who was appearing remotely from the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield and required the help of a translator, would still consider entering basic guilty pleas in the case. She sad she needed to double-check with Torres-Rodriguez.
A decision to accept or reject the offer is expected to be made by Torres-Rodriguez’s next scheduled hearing on Dec. 7.
If the offer is rejected, Torres-Rodriguez could face even more prison time, depending on the outcome of a trial. He faces two Class A felonies, which carry a 10-year mandatory minimum and up to 50 years in prison, as well as two Class B and Class C felonies.
Paz did not respond to a request for comment Monday.