Police ID Suspect In 2024 Fatal Candlewood Lake Boating Incident

DANBURY, CT — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced Sunday that Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police have charged a Flushing, New York, man in connection with a fatal boating incident that occurred last year on Candlewood Lake.

Robert McDonald, 23, was charged following an extensive investigation into the May 29, 2024, death of 20-year-old Roselyn Blanco of Danbury. Officers had responded to a report of an unresponsive woman at Brookfield Grove on Candlewood Lake. Blanco, who had been a passenger on a vessel tied to a dock, was pulled from the water with injuries consistent with a propeller strike. She later died at the hospital.

The investigation involved multiple interviews, search warrants, forensic evidence collection, and a reconstruction of the incident. Authorities said these efforts provided probable cause to move forward with charges against McDonald.

McDonald faces charges of reckless endangerment in the second degree and reckless operation of a vessel in the second degree. He was processed on April 27 and released on a $10,000 bond. A court appearance is scheduled for May 15 at Danbury Superior Court.