NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — A four year fight for justice came to a close Tuesday inside New Britain Superior Court. In 2019, police captured Benjamin Morales after a six-week manhunt. He was found hiding in a refrigerator inside a South Carolina trailer.
Tuesday, he was sentenced to 35 years in state prison for the February 2019 shooting of his girlfriend, Alice Figueroa, 27, who was trying to leave the relationship.
“I wanna say I’m sorry to the family," Morales's only words to the seven loved ones who shared victim impact statements with the court. Morales appeared over Zoom and shared tears during portions of the emotional testimony. His lawyer, William Paetzold says he regrets what he did.
Police say Morales shot Figueroa four times with a 357 Magnum inside the New Britain home they shared together when she went to retrieve clothes. Her 15 year old niece and three young children were outside in a car.
"Hating you all my life it’s not gonna bring my sister back. It’s not but I hope you get your forgiveness from God," said Frances Alcantara, Figueroa's sister.
Figueroa leaves behind three children ages 9, 7, and 5. Her family describes her as an amazing mother and friend with a one-of-a-kind smile.
Judge Maureen Keegan sentenced the now 47-year-old to the maximum of 35 years in prison and urged him to use his story as an example for others.
"That mixture of domestic violence, drug use, firearms and where it leads to because it’s leading you to a lifetime in the Department of Corrections," she said.
Morales will be at least 80 years old when he's up for parole.
"He basically got a life sentence, so I guess we’re ok with that. We know he’s not going to hurt anybody else," said Figueroa's sister, Genesis.
Alice’s niece, Amarrillis Martinez, now suffers with survivors remorse and trauma after having been a witness to help convict Morales.
"He’s very unpredictable. I didn’t think that he could actually kill her. Him telling me that he was going to kill me too still replays in the back of my mind," she told FOX61 outside of court after the sentencing.
Martinez and her grandmother have become advocates of domestic violence prevention. They now hold weekly meetings for survivors at their New Britain church on Arch Street.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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