Man gets five years for attacking woman in Norwich parking lot
NORWICH – A Town of German man who admitted he tried to kidnap a 21-year-old woman in an empty Norwich parking lot was sentenced to five years in state prison Friday and may have to register as a sex offender.
Andrew Jason Waterman, 32, of Willet Line Road (McDonough address) was sentenced to five years in state prison and five years post-release supervision. Waterman pleaded guilty to the top count against him – second degree kidnapping, a Class B felony – a day before his jury trial was scheduled to begin on June 21.
First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said the woman was attacked as she walked home from work in the lot behind the VFW near East Main and Silver Street in the City of Norwich at around 9 p.m., March 27, 2009.
“The victim got out of work and took a shortcut behind an alley near the New Beginnings Church. He (Waterman) approached her and asked her out. She rejects his engagement, but he follows her to another parking lot. This is where he puts her in a bear hug and knocks her to the ground. He put his hand on her mouth and nose; the victim said she nearly passed out. She fought with him, pulled the glasses off his face and struck him in head. As she fought to get free, he threatened to kill her,” said Dunshee.
Dunshee requested that Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan arrange a hearing to determine if Waterman should be a registered sex offender.
“Defendants pleading to non-sexual crimes, like kidnapping, can still be considered for sex offender registration if the court finds the criminal offense was sexually motivated,” said Dunshee.
Dunshee added that Waterman admitted no motive in his plea, but prosecutors were contending that the crimes were sexually driven.
“Mr. Waterman is a very dangerous man and what happened in this case could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the strength and courage of victim, who fought her attack off and ran to find help,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride.
The victim appeared at the sentencing along side the City of Norwich police officers assigned to the case, but declined to make comment in court.
Waterman was also originally charged with sexually soliciting an 11-year-old girl with drugs Feb. 2, 2009.
According the to complaint made by the girl’s parents, Waterman approached the youth in his vehicle. Police claimed he asked her if she was single, if she smoked marijuana and referred to her as “sexy,” during the brief encounter.
Norwich Police Officer Ross Tumminia testified that the family reported the girl ran home after the man exited his vehicle to engage the youth on foot.
Tumminia said the following day, the victim recognized the same car and her mother wrote the license plate number down before calling police.
Tumminia said police traced the plate number to Waterman’s vehicle and at the time they only warned him and no criminal charges were filed.
Then 43 days later, the 21-year-old woman was attacked in the parking lot. Unable to identify the attacker, police took a description of the assailant that Tumminia later matched to Waterman’s appearance from the incident with the young girl.
Waterman was later picked out of a line up by both females at the Norwich Police station and prosecutors decided to pursue both matters with criminal charges.
Dunshee noted that although Waterman pleaded guilty to attacking the woman in the parking lot as part of the plea bargain, there was no admittance to accosting the young girl.
Dunshee also said the victim and the defendant did not know each other.
Andrew Jason Waterman, 32, of Willet Line Road (McDonough address) was sentenced to five years in state prison and five years post-release supervision. Waterman pleaded guilty to the top count against him – second degree kidnapping, a Class B felony – a day before his jury trial was scheduled to begin on June 21.
First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said the woman was attacked as she walked home from work in the lot behind the VFW near East Main and Silver Street in the City of Norwich at around 9 p.m., March 27, 2009.
“The victim got out of work and took a shortcut behind an alley near the New Beginnings Church. He (Waterman) approached her and asked her out. She rejects his engagement, but he follows her to another parking lot. This is where he puts her in a bear hug and knocks her to the ground. He put his hand on her mouth and nose; the victim said she nearly passed out. She fought with him, pulled the glasses off his face and struck him in head. As she fought to get free, he threatened to kill her,” said Dunshee.
Dunshee requested that Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan arrange a hearing to determine if Waterman should be a registered sex offender.
“Defendants pleading to non-sexual crimes, like kidnapping, can still be considered for sex offender registration if the court finds the criminal offense was sexually motivated,” said Dunshee.
Dunshee added that Waterman admitted no motive in his plea, but prosecutors were contending that the crimes were sexually driven.
“Mr. Waterman is a very dangerous man and what happened in this case could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the strength and courage of victim, who fought her attack off and ran to find help,” said District Attorney Joseph McBride.
The victim appeared at the sentencing along side the City of Norwich police officers assigned to the case, but declined to make comment in court.
Waterman was also originally charged with sexually soliciting an 11-year-old girl with drugs Feb. 2, 2009.
According the to complaint made by the girl’s parents, Waterman approached the youth in his vehicle. Police claimed he asked her if she was single, if she smoked marijuana and referred to her as “sexy,” during the brief encounter.
Norwich Police Officer Ross Tumminia testified that the family reported the girl ran home after the man exited his vehicle to engage the youth on foot.
Tumminia said the following day, the victim recognized the same car and her mother wrote the license plate number down before calling police.
Tumminia said police traced the plate number to Waterman’s vehicle and at the time they only warned him and no criminal charges were filed.
Then 43 days later, the 21-year-old woman was attacked in the parking lot. Unable to identify the attacker, police took a description of the assailant that Tumminia later matched to Waterman’s appearance from the incident with the young girl.
Waterman was later picked out of a line up by both females at the Norwich Police station and prosecutors decided to pursue both matters with criminal charges.
Dunshee noted that although Waterman pleaded guilty to attacking the woman in the parking lot as part of the plea bargain, there was no admittance to accosting the young girl.
Dunshee also said the victim and the defendant did not know each other.
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