(New Haven, CT) - John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Haven, today announced that the Honorable David L. Zagaja on April 28, 2025 sentenced Gabriel Arroyo, age 35, of Orlando, Florida, to 15 years in prison, execution suspended after 3 ½ years served, and 10 years of probation.
Arroyo pleaded guilty in Meriden Superior Court on September 8, 2024 to Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-71, and Risk of Injury to a Minor, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-21.
Court records indicate that a Meriden Police Department investigation determined that the defendant sexually assaulted a child in 2022 in Meriden.
The defendant’s original sentencing date was scheduled for January 6, 2025 but the defendant had fled to Florida and failed to appear at the hearing. While in police custody in Florida, he was eventually extradited back to Connecticut to face the pending charges. At sentencing, Judge Zagaja also imposed sex offender registration and a 30-year Standing Criminal Protective Order. In imposing the sentence, the judge cited the long-lasting effects the defendant's conduct has had on the child.
The matter was investigated by the Meriden Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Nichol Peco.