Manchester Firefighter's Firing Coincides With Rape Charges

MANCHESTER, CT — A former Manchester firefighter facing multiple sexual assault charges in a serial rape case with ties to Manchester and Vernon was fired almost simultaneously with his arrest, documents show.

A disciplinary document dated May 29, shows Angelo Alleano Jr. was terminated the previous day, but can collect pension funds totaling about $28,000 annually.

The firing date lines up with the announcent by Vernon and Manchester police that Alleano had been arrested. The case involves violent break-ins and sexual assaults in Vernon and Manchester that date back to the early 2000s. Alleano, 47, whose listed address is on Gerald Drive in Vernon. Alleano was charged under a "John Doe" warrant, signed in 2010. Police quickly identified Alleano as 23-year veteran Manchester firefighter.

There are four cases cited in the warrant involving sexual assaults after home invasions:

• A 2001 attack involving an 84-year-old woman in Manchester
• A 2004 attack involving a 57-year-old woman in Manchester
• A 2007 attack involving a 37-year-old woman in Manchester
• A 2008 attack involving a 61-year-old woman in Vernon

The charges include:

• Four counts of first-degree sexual assault
• Three counts of second-degree burglary

Alleano is still in custody on a $1 million bond and is due back in court on July 10, judicial system records show.

According to the warrant, between 2001 and 2008, Manchester and Vernon police investigated a series of residential burglaries during which man invading the homes sexually assaulted women. Police had believed the four reported attacks were related and committed by the same person, the warrant said. Because the identity of the suspect was unknown, police applied for a "John Doe" warrant that was signed in 2010. The warrant identified the suspect based on forensic evidence left at the scenes, police said.

Police aid they were able to develop "a family tree" of suspects that led them to suspect Alleano of the crimes. Police said Alleano was arrested after he came to the Vernon Police Department as part of an investigation into an unrelated domestic violence offense. Police said they had a separate warrant for a DNA sample, which then gave them probable cause on the rape investigation.