Nearly two years after holding 26 Fairfield University students and their professor hostage in Canisius Hall, Patrick Arbelo ’01 has been committed to a state psychiatric hospital for eight years.
After listening to the testimony at a Superior Court committal hearing, Bridgeport Superior Court Judge Richard Damiani handed down his sentence on Thursday, Nov. 13. He ruled that Arbelo, 26, still poses a threat to himself and others, but concurred with a state psychiatrist that he should not be held in a maximum-security hospital.
On Feb. 12, 2002, the former Fairfield student, who is blind because of a childhood disease, entered a Canisius classroom and interrupted Professor Elizabeth Dreyer’s Voices of Medieval Women class claiming to be carrying a bomb.
He pulled out a knife and demanded that all the students throw their backpacks out of the window, telling police he would leave only if he could read a statement, which was a racist diatribe against African-Americans and Jews that he wrote, on a New York radio station.
After more than six hours, however, he surrendered and released everyone unharmed.
Dreyer agrees with the way the case has been settled.
“The lawyers and the judge in this case worked hard to bring about a just verdict in this case. I know no one, myself included, who voiced any desire that Patrick go to prison,” she said.
Damiani found Arbelo not guilty by reason of insanity at a two-day trial in July on 24 counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon.
He was then examined by Dr. Alexandre Carre, who was questioned by Supervisory Assisstant State’s Attorney John Smriga on Thursday. Carre determined that Arbelo suffers from a psychiatric illness that requires treatment, but he suggested it be done at the state’s lesser-security facility in Middletown.
“I found Mr. Arbelo engaging, and I am sure with a less structured environment Mr. Arbelo will further gain from treatment,” Carre said in the Connecticut Post.
Vincent Noce, Arbelo’s lawyer, agreed with Carre’s assessment.
“I think it is in Mr. Arbelo’s best interests and it will help him with a quicker release back into the community,” he said.
Dreyer said she hopes Arbelo can learn from his mistakes during his sentence.
“I sincerely hope that Patrick receives the help he needs … in order to return as a productive member of society,” she said.
Leave a Reply