Jury Convicts New Haven Man, 38, Of Raping Elderly Woman: Prosecutors

NEW HAVEN, CT — Carlos Mejia, 38, of New Haven was convicted of the rape of a 63-year-old woman in Superior Court, New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr. announced Tuesday. But Mejia, free on a $100,000 surety bond during the trial, failed to appear in court for the jury instruction and the jury’s verdict, Boyle said. A re-arrest order was issued, and a bond was set in the amount of $750,000. Mejia is now being sought, with Boyle asking that anyone with information on Mejia's to contact their local police department.

Mejia was convicted of Sexual Assault in the First Degree by a jury in a trial presided over by Judge Jon M. Alander.

According to Boyle and trial testimony:

The woman, who was 63 at the time, said that her apartment had failed inspection and that the landlord had hired contractors to repair damage within the residence.

"In order to facilitate entry into the apartment when the victim was not home, a lockbox was installed on the front door of the building," per Boyle. "One evening, the victim was asleep in her bedroom and was awakened by noise in her kitchen. The victim proceeded to the kitchen and saw that Mejia had used the key to get inside the apartment. Mejia then followed the victim through the apartment and sexually assaulted her."

The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey Miranda. Mejia faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for December 5, 2022.