New Bedford Man Sentenced for Strangling Pregnant Girlfriend

A New Bedford man who strangled his pregnant girlfriend on a highway in 2014 has been sentenced in Fall River Superior Court.

Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn's Office says 29-year-old Luis Cirino was convicted of strangulation, intimidation, and aggravated assault and battery after a three-day jury trial. Judge E. Susan Garsh sentenced Cirino to serve four to five years in state prison, followed by two years of supervised probation.

The charges stemmed from an incident in December of 2014 where witnesses reported seeing a car pulled over on Route 24 southbound near Exit 8 with two people fighting. When police arrived, the female victim was hysterical and half nude. Her neck had red marks consistent with strangulation and part of her hair was ripped out.

The victim told police that she and Cirino were driving home when they got into an argument. during the argument, Cirino tried to push her out of the car. The woman eventually brought the car to a stop by shaking the gear shift. When Cirino pulled the car over, she tried to run away, but Cirino grabbed her and pulled her to the ground. When she tried to call 911, Cirino pulled her hair and strangled her. He was able to take her phone and put it into the trunk of his car before he continued assaulting her, tearing off her shirt and ripping her pants.

District Attorney Quinn said, "This inhumane behavior cannot be tolerated. I'm very satisfied the judge imposed a significant state prison sentence in this case."