Conn. man appears in court on murder, sex assault charges in teen’s death at religious site

Suspect in killing of Conn. teen charged in court

WATERBURY, Conn. — A 19-year-old Connecticut man has been charged with murder in the death of a teenager at a one-time religious attraction in Waterbury.

Francisco Cruz faces charges including capital felony that carries the possibility of the death penalty in the killing of 16-year-old Chloe Ottman.

He was presented in Waterbury Superior Court on Monday and charged with murder, sexual assault and strangulation. He’s being held on $5 million bail.

Court records say Cruz told police he had a crush on Ottman and raped, strangled and fatally stabbed her when she rejected his advances. Cruz’s body was found near the Holy Land USA site Saturday, a day after her family reported her missing.

It was not immediately clear if Cruz has a lawyer.

Information from: The Hartford Courant, www.courant.com