MILFORD, Conn. — A West Haven man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday in Milford Superior Court for a 2019 burglary and sexual assault, according to a release from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.
Miguel Cuapio-Mendieta was arrested on Dec. 29, 2019, after a female that he worked with told police that he entered her apartment with force, dressed in black clothing with a black ski mask and backpack, and threatened her with a black handgun, prosecutors said.
The woman told police that Cuapio-Mendieta threatened to kill her and her entire family if she did not do what she was told and that she was subsequently handcuffed, forced to kneel, and forced to perform oral sex while the gun was held to her head, according to prosecutors.
Cuapio-Mendieta then threw her on the bed, began removing her clothing, and placed blacked-out goggles over her eyes, prosecutors said.
During the struggle, the woman freed herself from the handcuffs, removed the goggles, and identified Cuapio-Mendieta as her coworker, according to prosecutors, who said he fled the scene when she threatened to call police.
Following the assault, the woman received numerous text messages from Cuapio-Mendieta admitting the assault and saying he was forced to do it by an unknown individual who was threatening the lives of her family members, prosecutors said.
Cuapio-Mendieta was found in New Haven and led police to where he stashed the backpack used during the incident, which contained goggles, a ski mask, and what was determined to be a BB gun, according to prosecutors.
On Feb. 21, Cuapio-Mendieta pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and first-degree burglary.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Cuapio-Mendieta after hearing arguments and statements from the victim and her family. Prosecutors said the total effective sentence imposed was 20 years execution suspended after 10 years served in prison with 10 years of probation.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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