Suspect in Jogger Sex Assault Nabbed in Springfield

Police have caught the man they believe sexually assaulted a female jogger in West Hartford almost three weeks ago.

Eddie Monroig-Rosario, 31, was taken into custody in Springfield, Massachusetts on Tuesday morning and is due in court there on Wednesday morning. 

He is suspected of grabbing a female jogger on Fern Street early on the morning of Oct. 27 while she was out for her morning run, pulling her into bushes and sexually assaulting her.

The violent crime rocked the quiet suburban town and police soon warned people to go out in pairs and be vigilant. The crime also led some to unite and take self defense classes, according to West Hartford News.   

On Monday there was a break in the case. Police identified Monroig-Rosario -- who also goes by Eric Rosario-Romera -- as the suspect based in forensic evidence. They held a news conference and said they believed he might have gotten on a bus heading out of town.

Within 24 hours, Springfield, Mass. police received a call from a staff member at Friends of the Homeless, a shelter in Springfield.

The shelter checks the names and identification of people who stay there and a staff member and Monroig-Rosario had stayed at there for three nights.

The staffer had seen coverage of the case on WWLP, Bill Miller, executive director of Friends of the Homeless, Inc., said, and once they learned who he was, "we immediately reported it to police," Miller said.    

Monroig-Rosario left the shelter after breakfast on Tuesday and was taken into custody nearby.

Miller said he believes Monroig-Rosario has family in the Springfield area.

Monroig-Rosario is also wanted in Hartford on burglary charges and in New York City on disorderly conduct charges. Sources said Monroig-Rosario also has an arrest record in Springfield.  

He will be arraigned on Wednesday morning  in Springfield District Court on an outstanding default warrant on marijuana and traffic offense charges from 2007 as well as a fugitive from justice charge from Connecticut, police said. 

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