Man Accused Of Following Woman Off Bus Facing 12 Years After Plea

VERNON, CT — A man who had been accused of trying to corner and rape a woman after following her off a transit bus in October 2017 entered guilty pleas to several charges on Friday in Rockville Superior Court.

Saige Yarde-Douglas, who was 25 at the time of his arrest, of 32 Danny Trail, Vernon, entered guilty pleas to attempt at aggravated first-degree sexual assault, second-degree stalking and third-degree sexual assault by use of force, a clerk at the court said.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 31, a clerk at the court said. The clerk said he is facing up to 12 years in prison with 13 years of special probation.

In October 2017, Police were called to an apartment complex on Talcottville Road after receiving a nighttime report about a woman yelling for help.

The woman gave police a description of the assailant and told police that the man, later identified as Yarde-Douglas, had followed her off a Connecticut Transit bus, according to a report.

She told police that when she was in a dark area near her apartment complex, he attacked her from behind, according to a report. He told police he did not want to hurt her, but said he had a gun, according to a report.

The woman continued to struggle and scream and a neighbor opened his window and shouted in the direction of the yelling and Yarde-Douglas ran away, according to a report. A Vernon police officer located Yarde-Douglas on an adjacent street, according to a report. He was unarmed when found, police.

A Vernon police dog recovered an opened condom wrapper and a condom in the direction where Yarde-Douglas fled, according to a report.

Vernon police had not released the booking mug shot of Yarde-Douglas until after the pleas because of the nature of the case. They distributed it Friday.