Rhode Island Man Sentenced for Brutal Assault on Girlfriend

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Rhode Island man will serve up to nine years in Massachusetts state prison after he was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn announced that Jesse Marinaro, 34, of Woonsocket was found guilty in Fall River Superior Court on April 24 of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, domestic assault and battery, and intimidation of a witness.

He was acquitted of rape, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and strangulation.

Marinaro was sentenced to serve 6.5 to nine years in state prison along with a supervised probationary period of 15 years running concurrently with the prison sentence. According to D.A. Quinn, Marinaro was on probation out of Plymouth Superior Court at the time of his arrest.

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Details of the March 2025 Assault

The charges date back to the evening of March 29, 2025, when Marinaro picked up the victim on his motorcycle at her place of employment at 10:30 p.m. Marinaro was angry because she worked later than her scheduled hours. As they left her work, she believed they were traveling back to their home in Woonsocket.

Victim Escapes and Calls for Help

Marinaro began striking her in the head with a motorcycle helmet with such force that it damaged the helmet. He later pulled the motorcycle over, which gave the victim a chance to run to a nearby Wendy’s to seek assistance from the father of her young child, but he did not answer.

Marinaro then drove the victim to a location in Attleboro near a bridge and then to the back lot of a closed childcare center. There, he continued to hit the victim in the head, and kicked her in the ribs, buttocks and vagina with his boots.

Police Response and Arrest

Neighbors heard the yelling and called 911. Police arrived, and Marinaro pulled the victim into a wooded area and threw her over a fence. He then fled the area. The victim came out of the woods and asked the police for help. She was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital for treatment, and police set up a perimeter to try to catch Marinaro, although they could not locate him. He was later arrested by Providence Police after a high-speed chase.

DA Quinn Responds to Violence

"I am pleased that the court imposed a significant sentence for the brutal beating inflicted by the defendant over several hours against the victim,” Quinn said. “He was arrested in Rhode Island after a wild, high-speed chase. This clearly demonstrates that the defendant is out of control and a danger to the community.”