Plea deal rejected in Arnold child rape case, suspect faces 100 years to life at trial

A Washington, D.C., man on Monday rejected a plea bargain offer that would have sent him to prison for at least 15 years for the alleged sexual assault of a young boy in Arnold.

Delonte Haynes, 28, faces a potential life sentence if he is convicted of all four counts that will be brought against him at a trial later this week, according to a Westmoreland County prosecutor.

“All the sentences could be consecutive, so he’s looking at 100 years to life if he is convicted at a jury trial,” Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Calisti said.

Haynes’ defense lawyer, assistant Public Defender Mike Garofalo, said the proposed plea deal of 15 to 30 years in prison was initially agreed to late last week and was set for Monday morning before Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway. Haynes would have received credit for the time he has served since his arrest, making him eligible for parole in 13 1/2 years, according to Calisti.

Garofalo said Haynes had a change of heart.

“This morning, he said he would rather take his chances at trial,” Garofalo said.

Haynes was charged last year with felony counts of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and corruption of minors in connection with multiple sexual contacts he allegedly had with a then 10-year-old boy in 2017. Each offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison to life because of a prior conviction for a sex crime against a child, Calisti said.

Calisti said Haynes was convicted of the sexual assault of a child for a 2015 incident in Washington, D.C. Haynes served four months behind bars for that offense after the bulk of his four-year prison sentence was suspended, Calisti said.

The now 15-year-old alleged victim in the Westmoreland County case lives in another state but will be present when Haynes’ trial begins Thursday. Jury selection started Monday afternoon.