Man Sentenced In Sexual Assault Of Child In Meriden: Officials

MERIDEN, CT — A Florida man has been sentenced to serve more than three years in prison in connection with the sexual assault of a minor in Meriden, according to officials.

Gabriel Arroyo, 35, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced Monday by Superior Court Judge David L. Zagaja to 15 years in prison, execution suspended after three-and-a-half years served, and 10 years of probation, New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle Jr. announced.

Arroyo pleaded guilty in Meriden Superior Court on Sept. 8, 2024 to second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

Court records indicate that a Meriden Police Department investigation determined that the defendant sexually assaulted a child in 2022 in Meriden, according to a news release from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Arroyo’s original sentencing date was scheduled for Jan. 6, but he had “fled to Florida and failed to appear at the hearing,” according to the news release.

While in police custody in Florida, officials said he was eventually extradited back to Connecticut to face the pending charges.

At sentencing, Zagaja also ordered that Arroyo register as a sex offender and imposed 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 news release states.