State police have arrested a former Goshen firefighter who they said is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at his house after they partied at the Goshen Fire Department in June 2021 and he gave her several alcoholic beverages.
State police started investigating on June 20, 2021, when Charlotte Hungerford Hospital staff contacted them about a victim of a sexual assault who had arrived at the hospital.
The victim reported that she might have been sexually assaulted at a friend’s house in Goshen the night before and identified Daniel Brignolo, of Torrington, as the suspect.
Brignolo, who is 25 years old, was 23 and lived in Goshen at the time.
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The victim told police that she and others, including Brignolo, were planning to go to a bonfire the night before, but it got canceled because of weather, so they went to Brignolo’s house, then five of them went to the Goshen Fire Department.
While they were at the fire department, Brignolo got alcoholic beverages from the refrigerator, according to the arrest warrant. Then he took her for a ride in an ambulance.
While in the ambulance, he was drinking, driving all over the road, and said they shouldn’t be doing what they were doing, the arrest warrant says.
After leaving the fire department, the victim went back to Brignolo’s house.
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While they were at his house, Brignolo gave the teen rum, moonshine and other drinks and she got sick and was in and out of consciousness, according to the arrest warrant.
At one point, Brignolo told her, “I need to make sure you’re safe because I’m a firefighter. If needed, I will call an ambulance,” the arrest warrant says. And he kept asking if she was OK and said he could get in a lot of trouble.
When the teen woke up at 11 a.m., her stomach hurt and she found bruising.
Brignolo had left a note, saying he’d be back from work around noon and would drive her wherever she needed to go, and she asked him to drive her to a fast-food restaurant when he returned.
The teen went to the hospital for medical attention after telling a parent what happened.
While speaking with police, the victim told them that Brignolo had made several sexual advances and uncomfortable comments and she pushed him away and told him to stop, the arrest warrant states.
As police investigated, the fire chief in Goshen told police he had no idea of the party at the firehouse and he had removed Brignolo from the department.
During an interview with police, Brignolo said that the teen had asked to spend the night and he said it was fine, but he needed to go to work at 6 a.m. and could drive her where she needed to go if she did not find a ride before he was finished working.
Police have charged Brignolo with the illegal sale or delivery of alcohol to a minor and second-degree sexual assault.
His bond has been set at $15,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 16.
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