Man Sentenced On Motor Vehicle, Sexual Assault Charges

A 24-year-old man will serve eight months in jail on charges related to a and a 2009 sexual assault.

Felipe R. Echavarria, of Greentree Road in Waterford, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and second-degree sexual assault. Justice Patrick J. Clifford sentenced him in today to serve five years in prison, suspended after eight months, and three years of probation on the motor vehicle charge. Clifford also gave Echavarria a concurrent sentence of a suspended year in prison and two years of probation on the sexual assault charge.

Echavarria’s license will be suspended for a year after his release, and during his probationary period he will not be able to use a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device. He must also attend substance abuse screening and treatment, perform 50 hours of community service a year if not employed full time, pay restitution to the motor vehicle accident victim for any out-of-pocket expenses, have no contact with the sexual assault victim, and have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

According to the , Echavarria struck 58-year-old Idel Beddoe in the area of Colman Street and Redden Ave. on the evening of Aug. 5. He was initially charged with possession of narcotics, second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and evading responsibility.

At the time, Echavarria was facing two charges each of second-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact with a victim under the age of 16. According to Inspector Timothy P. Pitkin of the Division of Criminal Justice of the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Waterford Police Department arrested Echavarria after a 13-year-old girl told officers on Nov. 7, 2009 that he sexually assaulted her.

The girl said she had gone to a house party on Greentree Drive, drank beer, and had sex with two teenagers. She said she asked Echavarria for a ride and he said she would have to have sex with him for the favor.

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