By STEPHEN SINGER
Associated Press Writer
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) _ A sex offender released from prison a few weeks ago will face charges in the death of a cancer patient who was abducted while visiting a friend, police said Monday.
MaryEllen Welsh, 62, was found in a wooded area of Bristol, about 10 miles from New Britain. She had apparently been shot, New Britain police said.
She was visiting a friend in New Britain between 9 and 10 a.m. Sunday when someone broke into the house, Sgt. Darren Pearson said.
The friend she was visiting, identified as Carol Larese, 65, was shot and badly wounded but is expected to recover.
Authorities said they arrested Leslie Williams, 31, when he crashed Welsh's car in Watertown after a police chase about five hours after the home invasion.
Williams has been charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, robbery, kidnapping with a firearm and other crimes connected with what happened to Larese, Pearson said. He said police are preparing to charge him in connection with crimes against Welsh. Williams was expected to be in court on Monday.
Pearson said it appears Williams acted alone in what he called a ``crime of opportunity.'' He said it did not appear that he knew the women.
Police said Welsh had been undergoing treatment for cancer and had a port in her chest.
Teresa Diters, who lives across the street, said Larese knocked on her door Sunday morning and asked her to call 911.
``She just told me she was shot,'' Diters said. ``She was all full of blood from head to toe. I was amazed.''
Diters, who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years, said Larese is a good neighbor.
``She's a fantastic person, very loving and very caring,'' Diters said.
Williams was released March 4 from the medium-security Osborne Correctional Institution in Somers after serving eight years in prison for convictions in 2000 of sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor, according to state Department of Correction records.
Police in Waterbury, where Williams lived before he went to prison, said his conviction was for the 1998 sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl he knew.
Lt. Chris Corbett said Waterbury police had also arrested Williams for two burglaries, breach of peace and selling drugs.
Brian Garnett, a correction spokesman, said Monday that Williams was disciplined twice in prison for making threats, once for violating provisions of a program there, and once for tampering with security.
He was denied parole in March 2006, and was placed on five years probation when he was released from prison this month, Garnett said.
According to the state sex offender registry, he lives in Hartford.
Cynthia Holland, a friend of the victims, said Monday that the two were having coffee when the home invasion happened.
``She's a lovely person,'' Holland said of Welsh.
Associated Press writers Stephanie Reitz in Hartford and John Christoffersen in New Haven contributed to this report.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
