N.Y. couple accused of racial attack in Mystic appear in court in New London
Apr. 29—A couple from New York who are charged in the beating of a Mystic hotel clerk in a racially motivated attack last summer appeared in court Wednesday, greeted by a crowd of protesters.
Philip Sarner and Emily Orbay, who were on the run in New York for nearly two weeks after the attack, are accused of beating Crystal Caldwell of Groton, who is Black, twice on June 26 while she was working at the front desk of the Quality Inn in Mystic. The couple allegedly hurled racial slurs at Caldwell while they beat her in an attack that was caught on surveillance video footage.
Sarner and Orbay both appeared Wednesday in New London Superior Court for a hearing.
Caldwell was at the court proceeding said it was a step toward justice. "Today was a good day, it's definitely a step toward getting on with my life," she said.
She said that after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the courts were working to make progress in her case in a timely fashion. "It's a good thing. We're trying to get him off the streets," she said, referring to Sarner.
Caldwell suffered injuries to her wrist, back, ribs, head and eye in the attack. She said she still is recovering from a concussion and was preparing for surgeries on her hand and head. She has been out of work since the attack.
"Mentally and physically, I'll be dealing with things for a while, it's going to take a while to get things healed," she said. "But I'm alive."
Caldwell's attorney John Strafaci said the state's attorney's office offered a plea deal to both Sarner and Orbay in court Wednesday. If both plead guilty to all charges, Sarner will be sentenced to nine years in prison, suspended after five years served, with three years of probation. Orbay will be sentenced to six years in prison, suspended after two years served.
Strafaci said that five years in prison for Sarner was the minimum amount that he would accept, based on the severity of the assault. He said he was grateful to the state's attorney's office for its work on the case and he thinks the offer is "reasonable."
When walking into the courthouse Wednesday, Sarner and Orbay were waving to cameras and protesters, blowing kisses and dancing, Strafaci said.
"He has no remorse for what he did," Strafaci said of Sarner. "The only thing he's sorry for is that he got caught."
Caldwell's attorney said he thinks both Sarner and Orbay are a threat to the public. "People like that, all you can do is lock them up and keep them away from civilized human beings because he's going to do it again, there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to pose a threat to people," Strafaci said. "The only thing the judge can do is lock them up, and her, too."
Strafaci said the case was scheduled for a remote pretrial hearing in June and that the couple is set to appear in court next in July, when he expects them to either accept or reject the plea deal.
Sarner was released last summer on a $175,00 bond on charges of first and second-degree assault and intimidation based on bias. A $50,000 bond also was issued for a second-degree harassment charge, following an August arrest for allegedly making harassing phone calls to Strafaci.
Orbay was released on a $50,000 bond. She is charged with two counts of third-degree assault and intimidation based on bias.
The pair, from Long Island, were arrested in Brooklyn after fleeing Connecticut after the attack.
The Stonington Police Department has received backlash over its handling of the case, prompting a series of protests over the summer.
