Officer Rafael Crespo Jr. Convicted Sexual Assault

[WaTcHeR]

05/23/2006 - NEW HAVEN, Conn. --A Superior Court jury has convicted an East Windsor police officer of sexually assaulting his former fiancee.

The jury Monday convicted Rafael Crespo Jr., 30, of two counts each of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree assault.

Crespo has been with the department for four years. He was arrested on Feb. 3, 2005, by Yale University police. Crespo was accused of raping and assaulting his former fiancee, a Yale student, several times while off duty.

Crespo, who is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced July 21. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending a termination hearing after his conviction Monday.

The termination hearing, run by the town police commission, could be held as early as Wednesday evening. The commission is responsible for hiring and firing officers, but in this case the hearing will be a formality.

"He's been convicted of felonies, which precludes him from working as a police officer," East Windsor Detective Matthew Carl said.

[WaTcHeR]

05.26.2006 - EAST WINDSOR - The Police Commission dismissed Officer Rafael Crespo Jr. in a unanimous decision Wednesday, citing his conviction on sexual-assault changes.

Officer Crespo, 30, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree assault by a New Haven jury Monday and placed on unpaid leave. He had been on paid leave since his arrest in February 2005.

After the commission met behind closed doors for 20 minutes, Commissioner Linda C. Sinsigallo announced Crespo would be fired based on his felony conviction and the revocation of his state certification.

This decision is effective immediately, Police Chief Edward J. DeMarco said Wednesday.

Anyone convicted of a class A or class B felony - like first-degree sexual assault, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison - is not eligible to work as a police officer, according to the state's Department of Public Safety.

Under the town charter, the Police Commission has the authority to hire and fire members of the Police Department, DeMarco said.

With Crespo now dismissed, the department is reduced to 25 officers, including the chief and captain. But another officer is set to leave East Windsor next week.

The department kicked off a recruitment drive Wednesday, DeMarco said, and hopes to find two officers, at either the entry-level or lateral-level, to replace Crespo.

Yale University police arrested Crespo, an East Hartford resident, at the town's Police Department in February 2005 after a female student alleged he sexually and physically assaulted her during their three-year relationship.

Following his arrest, Crespo was placed on paid administrative leave.

The two met at a New Haven nightclub when Crespo gave her one of his business cards from the Police Department.