Jerry Vazquez hit his girlfriend with a metal broom so hard that the broom broke in half, prosecutors said. He continued to strike her and the jagged metal of the broken broom sliced open her arm.
The Mercer County Criminal Courthouse in Trenton.
PRINCETON — A former Princeton resident was sentenced today to five years in prison for beating his girlfriend with a metal broom in 2010.
Judge Robert Billmeier, who presided over the jury trial in December, said Jerry Vazquez, 35, of Florida, has shown no remorse for assaulting the woman he once lived with.
Vazquez was convicted of second-degree aggravated assault, weapons offenses and criminal restraint for the early-morning assault in May 2010.
During the trial Vazquez’ ex-girlfriend said she had to undergo surgery to repair tendons so she could regain use of her left hand.
The couple had a verbal argument that turned physical, and he began hitting her with a metal broom so hard that the broom broke in half, prosecutors said. Vazquez continued to strike her and the jagged metal of the broken broom sliced open her arm.
Vazquez claimed that the woman started the fight. While trying to defend himself, he pushed her onto the couch where the broken broomstick was lodged and she was cut, he said.
Vazquez and his attorney Michael Amantia maintained that Vazquez is innocent. They filed a motion for acquittal which Billmeier denied today.
Amantia argued that the jury erred in finding Vazquez guilty when there was no evidence to support the verdict. But Billmeier said the jury found testimony of the victim believable enough to convict Vazquez.
Speaking at the sentencing this afternoon, the victim told the judge that, even though it has been years since the fight, she struggles to complete everyday tasks because of her injuries.
“This incident has altered my life in such a negative way,” she said. “There are a lot of things I can’t do because I can’t use my left hand.”
Assistant Prosecutor John Boyle argued that Vazquez's failure to express remorse and continuing effort to fight the verdict indicated he was more likely to assault someone else in the future.
Billmeier agreed, saying that if Vazquez was triggered so easily during a verbal argument with his girlfriend, he could have the same reaction in prison or after release.
Vazquez will have to serve 85 percent of the sentence, or four years and three months, before he is eligbile for parole. After his release he will have to serve three years of supervision.