Crime & Safety
82-Year-Old Charged with Killing Bear Asks for Second Chance
Windsor resident John G. Rocha was charged with the illegal killing of a black bear in January.
The 82-year-old Windsor man charged with illegally killing a black bear and in January applied for accelerated rehabilitation Thursday, according to The Hartford Courant.
Accelerated rehabilitation is a program under which an individual found guilty of a crime receives probation in lieu of jail time, and charges are dismissed upon satisfactory completion of the probation period.
According to The Courant, Rocha applied for the program on the basis that he has maintained a clean record up until this point, telling a judge "that he has no criminal convictions and has never used a court program."
Find out what's happening in Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Rocha was at his Poquonock home in January by Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) agents after the agency was alerted by Windsor Police that a bear had allegedly been shot and killed on Rocha's property.
The bear, estimated to be between 5 and 6 years old, and weighing 250 lbs., was accompanied by a 1-year-old cub, which was unharmed in the incident.
Find out what's happening in Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The younger bear was by DEEP officials.
Rocha was released from custody following the initial filing of the charges on the condition that he promise to appear in court.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 13, according to The Hartford Courant.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
