DeCarlo to return to Hampden court to face assault charges

Date: 3/7/2011

March 7, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

WILBRAHAM — The Hampden County District Attorney's office hopes to have Blaze DeCarlo back in Western Massachusetts sometime this week to answer to charges of sexual assault on a minor.

District Attorney Mark Mastroianni told Reminder Publications that DeCarlo, who was arrested in Brigdon, Maine, on March 1 after fleeing the Hampden County district courthouse in Palmer a day earlier, waived the extradition process.

"That means that he has agreed to voluntarily allow himself to be brought back here under police supervision," Mastroianni said. "We will have our state police coordinating with the Wilbraham Police Department to go pick him up, which I'm hopeful will be happening in the next week."

According to a press release from the Wilbraham Police Department, the 40-year-old DeCarlo, of Levante, Maine, was arrested on Feb. 27 on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.

DeCarlo turned himself in to the police that morning for questioning regarding an incident that took place in the early morning hours that day. He was subsequently arrested by Officer Michael J. Cygan and later released on the condition he'd appear before the court.

DeCarlo appeared at the courthouse, but exited the building shortly before his arraignment and Judge Patricia Poehler issued a default warrant for his arrest.

Mary Partyka, an assistant district attorney at the Palmer District Court, declined to comment on the case and directed all questions to Mastroianni's office.

According to Massachusetts general law, conviction of indecent assault and battery of a person under the age of 14 carries with it a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison.