Man convicted of sexually assaulting minors in Meriden

MERIDEN, CT – A New York man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Meriden, officials said.

Evans Espinal, 38, was sentenced Wednesday by Superior Court Judge David L. Zagaja to 40 years in prison, suspended after 18 years served, followed by 15 years of probation, announced John P. Doyle Jr., state’s attorney New Haven Judicial District.

A Superior Court jury in Meriden found Espinal guilty Aug. 8 of two counts of second-degree sexual assault, seven counts of risk of injury to a minor and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Espinal was arrested in New Jersey on December 4, 2022 and extradited back to Connecticut on December 12, 2022. He was arrested in connection with an investigation initiated in 2021, Meriden police said at the time.

According to a news release from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, evidence at trial showed that Espinal sexually abused the 12-year-old victim over a two-year period.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Zagaja noted that it was clear that the victim had suffered at the hands of the defendant for an extended period of time, the release said.

Addressing the victim and her family directly, Zagaja said: “They are brave people. I am confident that you will continue here.

Zagaja told Espinal his behavior was “selfish, self-centered and predatory. I hope you fully understand the destruction and chaos you have caused this young lady.

Doyle thanked the Meriden Police Department for their investigative work in the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nichol Peco with assistance from Investigator Lisa Fernandes and Certified Legal Intern Milo Cortese.

“This office, as the efforts of Assistant Attorney General Peco and others have demonstrated, will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those who commit terrible acts against the most vulnerable members of our society, especially our children,” Doyle said.