With woman missing, Enfield assault, robbery case dropped

Mar. 13—A Hartford Superior Court prosecutor last week dropped charges against a former Enfield man who was accused of pistol whipping and robbing a woman during a prostitution appointment at the Motel 6 on Hazard Avenue in Enfield because authorities have been unable to contact the woman.

Willie Valentin, now 26, who has listed addresses in Hartford and Enfield, had been held in lieu of $250,000 bond since his Aug. 26 arrest on charges of first-degree robbery and second-degree assault in the July 17 incident. He was later charged with violating probation conditions in an old gun case, and $100,000 was added to his bond.

Valentin was released from jail after prosecutor Richard Rubino on Thursday entered the "missing witness nolle," which ends the case for now. It can be revived if the complainant gets back in touch with authorities within 13 months.

There had been signs from the beginning that the case might be difficult to prosecute.

The woman didn't call police about the July 17 incident. Instead, police learned of it after receiving reports that a woman who appeared to be under the influence of drugs was walking in and out of traffic asking motorists if they drove for a ride-sharing service, according to an affidavit by Enfield police Officer Allison Mount.

When Mount arrived, the woman, who was shaking and crying, told her that she had been assaulted at Motel 6.

The officer reported that the woman had a large bruise on her right eye and three small parallel cuts, which the officer said were consistent with the grooves on a pistol slide.

After being evaluated by medical personnel, the woman refused treatment but was given an ice pack, the officer reported.

The woman denied at first that she had met the man at the motel to exchange sex for money but stopped denying it when the officer told her she wasn't in trouble.

The woman said in a sworn statement that, while she was sitting on the side of the motel room's bed, the man demanded her money amid sexual insults. She said he then hit her in the right cheek with a brown pistol two or three times and took money from her purse.

She quoted him as saying, "If you tell anyone, I will hunt you down and finish the job."

She said she didn't want to press charges because she believed she would be killed. But she also said she didn't want the man "to do this to other girls."

Her phone had died, and she couldn't give the officer the man's phone number before leaving in a ride-share car.

But the motel manager provided information that Valentin had checked in, and the manager played video of his arrival.

The officer reported that she identified Valentin by comparing the surveillance images to a law enforcement database.

The officer also reported that surveillance video showed Valentin leaving the room and returning with the woman, whom the officer identified by her red dress.

In a subsequent telephone conversation, the officer reported, Valentin told her that he had been at the motel earlier to meet with a woman.

He said she "freaked out" on him and tried to extort money from him, at which point he became frightened and left the room. He denied hitting the woman.

He said he would come to the police station the next afternoon to give a statement but didn't show up.

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