A Danbury native with nearly two dozen arrests on his record will serve 20 years in prison for raping a Fairfield County woman at gunpoint last year as her two children watched.
Gary Fricker, 54, a transient carpenter who has used more than 30 aliases, pleaded guilty yesterday to attacking the 40-year-old woman as she loaded her children into her minivan at the Marriott Hotel & Spa parking garage on Tresser Boulevard.
He faced up to 140 years in prison when police arrested him after a car chase on Interstate 684 in Ardsley, N.Y., on Oct. 13, three days after the assault.
"She will never be the same," Fricker told officers as they detained him. "I ruined her life."
The victim has not ruled out a civil suit against the Marriott, which did not have video of the assault, said her attorney, Ernest Teitell.
Marriott representatives said they had not been notified of a lawsuit.
Police said they are glad the guilty plea spared the woman from testifying about the attack, which she was prepared to do if Fricker took the case to trial.
"No amount of prison time could ever be enough for a crime like this," Sgt. Paul Guzda said.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
Is it me or does it seem like 20 years is rather light for a man who raped a woman in front of her own kids?
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
