Staff report The Hartford Courant
11:06 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2013

HAMDEN—

Police have charged a New Haven man with sexually assaulting a woman at a Linden Avenue home during the early morning hours of April 14.

Marcelo Munoz-Cervantes, 29, of 341 Grand Avenue, Apt. 4, was charged Monday with first-degree sexual assault, home invasion, first-degree burglary, second-degree assault and second-degree strangulation, police said. He was taken into custody at his workplace, a restaurant in Southington.

Police determined that Munoz-Cervantes had worked as a maintenance worker for the landlord who rented the home to the sexual assault victim, and that he was familiar with the property.

The woman was repeatedly sexually assaulted and screamed for help while her attacker strangled her, police said. She was also punched several times in the face. The victim's injuries included a displaced rib and injuries to her back, neck and shoulder.

The attacker got into the house through an unlocked front door, police said.

Munoz-Cervantes was held on $1 million bail. Hamden Police said Munoz-Cervantes is in the country illegally and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him.

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