You Go, Girls: Two Teens Take Down Alleged Would-Be Rapist Who Police Say Was Acting Out a 'Fantasy'

On Monday, two brave Connecticut teens successfully fended off an alleged would-be rapist, who allegedly threatened them with a knife and attempted to drag them into the woods around Kettletown State Park near Oxford.

According to Waterbury State's Attorney Maureen Platt, the 23-year-old alleged attacker, Darius Moreno, is from outside of the state and has been living in his car. At the Tuesday arraignment, Moreno said that he was "sorry," that he was into aggressive pornography and just wanted to act out a sexual fantasy. Moreno should have stuck to OnlyFans or whatever online sickness he may have frequented.

A prosecutor says the 23-year-old man "likes aggressive porn" and was acting out his sexual fantasy when he attacked the girls on Monday. https://t.co/mBgu34cxkY
— Connecticut Post (@connpost) July 15, 2026

Waterbury State Attorneys are throwing the book at Moreno, with a raft of charges.

Moreno was charged with two counts each of criminal attempt at third-degree sexual assault, first-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree breach of peace, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening and one count each of third-degree strangulation, first-degree robbery, interfering with an emergency call, carrying a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

Platt said her office plans to add two counts of first-degree kidnapping to the laundry list. During the arraignment, Platt called the allegations "egregious."

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on Monday. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police responded to the park after receiving a report of an assault.
Southbury police had already detained the suspect, 23-year-old Darius Moreno, of Southbury, when EnCon officers arrived, the report said.
The girls told police that they were hiking along Kettletown Brook when Moreno suddenly came up behind one of them, put her in a chokehold, and held a knife to her throat, according to the report.
Moreno then forced the two girls farther into the woods while threatening them with the knife and pulling one of the girls' hair, police said.
The report said that one of the girls took out her phone to call the police, but Moreno allegedly lunged at her, knocked her to the ground, pushed her face into the ground, and took her phone. He also covered her mouth and nose with his hand, restricting her ability to breathe, the report stated.
Investigators said Moreno then demanded the second girl hand over her phone before pulling both girls deeper into the woods. He told the girls that if they did what he wanted, they would be allowed to leave, according to the police report.

This was the moment the girls fought back rather than suffer being assaulted. One managed to wrestle away from Moreno's grasp, grabbed a rock, and threw it. The rock made contact with Moreno's head, and he stumbled as he allegedly attempted to pull down the second girl's pants. The first girl threw more rocks at Moreno, which enabled the second girl to get away and for both girls to scream for help as they made it to the parking lot. According to police reports, parkgoers assisted the girls.

One of the people who helped told EnCon police that she saw Moreno saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," before he was arrested by Southbury police officers, the report stated.
The girls had minor cuts and scrapes from the incident. Moreno was treated for minor injuries at Danbury Hospital before being taken to Connecticut State Police Troop A for processing, according to police.

The police report said Moreno admitted to brandishing the knife and taking one of the girls' phones so she couldn't call the police. Moreno also reportedly confessed to pulling down one of the girls' pants, but he said he was only trying to scare them, not hurt them. He succeeded, but thanks to one of the girls' quick thinking and moxie, Moreno was the only one who suffered harm, at least physically. Instant Karma at work.

According to reporting, once the girls were able to escape from him, Moreno claimed he ran up a hill to throw the phone he still had over the cliff. This brain trust then realized he had lost his car keys and had no way to escape.

"Knowing he could not leave in his car, he waited for the police to arrive to surrender," the report said.
An EnCon police K-9 later found the girl's missing phone and Moreno's car keys.

Moreno remains in custody on a $250,000 bond.

Ro Khanna Has Some Unbelievable Advice for All of Us on Platner, Compares Himself to Former President

It is remarkable that one of the girls was able to keep her head enough to fight back. It is also fortunate that neither one of them was alone. But what a horrific ordeal. This was broad daylight, in an occupied park, one place these young ladies should have been safe.

Let's hope the good people of Connecticut give Moreno a speedy trial where proper justice is served.

Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law-and-order agenda.

Help us fight back against the Democrats and Soros-backed DAs that refuse to enforce our laws to hold criminals accountable. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.

Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.

Help us fight back against the Democrats and Soros-backed DAs that refuse to enforce our laws to hold criminals accountable. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.