(New Haven, CT) – New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr. announced that Frankie DeJesus, age 28, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by the Honorable Maureen M. Keegan to 50 years in prison for the 2022 murder of William Beltran in Waterbury. A New Haven Superior Court jury in September found DeJesus guilty of Murder, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a. Judge Keegan also found DeJesus guilty of Criminal Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-217(a)(1).
The evidence presented at trial consisted of an eyewitness who placed DeJesus at the scene of the murder with a motive, as well as surveillance cameras, cell phone evidence, and ballistic comparisons that were used to establish the defendant’s guilt. At sentencing, multiple members of Beltran’s family spoke about the loss they suffered at the hands of DeJesus. In fashioning his sentence, Judge Keegan noted the defendant’s multiple previous convictions for illegal possession of firearms, assault, and sale of narcotics. On the night of the murder, DeJesus was “dressed head-to-toe in all black,” when he “physically hunted down” Beltran on Willow Street in July of 2022, Judge Keegan said while addressing DeJesus in court.
“Whether such crime occurs in Waterbury or New Haven, the facts are no less tragic for our state,” State’s Attorney Doyle said. “Mr. DeJesus, who had previous illegal firearms convictions, took a life with a firearm he was prohibited from possessing, and that choice carries with it a 50-year consequence.”
The case was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department and prosecuted in New Haven by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Gregory L. Borrelli and State’s Attorney Doyle, who were assisted by Inspector Michael Mastropetre and Paralegal Specialist Diane Kosiorek.
State’s Attorney Doyle would like to extend his gratitude to Lead Detective Cathleen Knapp and the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, the Office of the Chief Medical (OCME) and the Division of Scientific Services (DSS) within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), particularly the Firearm and DNA analysis sections, as well as the New Haven Office of the FBI for their analysis of cellphone data.