Crime & Safety

Fern Street Rapist's Plea Deal Carries 18-Year Sentence

Eddie Monroig-Rosario pled guilty last week to the charges of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree unlawful restraint.

The man charged in the October 2010 rape of a jogger on Fern St. in West Hartford is scheduled to be sentenced next week on charges of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree unlawful restraint.

Eddie Monroig-Rosario, 33, opted for a guilty plea and prison sentence of 18 years, according to the Hartford Courant. Time served will be concurrent with the sentence Monroig-Rosario is already serving on burglary charges, according to the Courant report.

Monroig-Rosario was arrested in November 2010 near a homeless shelter in Springfield, MA, and struggled with police before being apprehended. He was linked to the crime through DNA evidence, and there were also active warrants for his arrest on charges in addition to those stemming from the Fern St. rape.

The rape victim is opposed to the plea deal, and according to Steph Blozy, a friend and owner of Fleet Feet Sports in West Hartford, considers it to be "a slap on his wrist and a slap in her face." 

Fleet Feet posted a status update on their Facebook page Monday night, asking fellow runners to "Like" the status if they supported the victim and were opposed to the plea deal. By Tuesday night, nearly 1,500 had done just that.

If permitted, runners in support of the victim may appear in the courtroom at the sentencing, in hopes that the judge can be convinced to take back the plea bargain offer and force a trial.

Runners initially responded to the brazen daylight assault in a well-traveled area of West Hartford with a spontaneous show of compassion, solidarity, and strength.  

"This is a quintessential West Hartford response to a heinous crime," Mayor Scott Slifka told a large crowd that gathered on Oct. 29, just two days after the rape, for a group run followed by a morning candlelight vigil at the Morley School. "We are not going to be victims."


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