Magalie Maisonet
A former York City woman who fled the state while pregnant and awaiting sentencing on a charge of felony assault on a police officer has returned to York County in handcuffs.
Magalie Maisonet was admitted to York County Prison Wednesday morning, a prison official said.
Maisonet, 32, of Clearwater, Fla., was captured in Pinellas County, Fla., on May 16, according to Cristen Rensel, spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Maisonet appeared Thursday morning before York County Common Pleas Judge Gregory M. Snyder, who ordered her held in prison for sentencing, set for June 24.
"I'm very happy she's back in York County ... and that she finally will face justice for assaulting a police officer," chief deputy prosecutor David Sunday said.
Defense attorney Mike Fenton said a standard-range sentence for his client would be about 15 months in prison.
'Tough life': "We're going to ask for a mitigated sentence, based on her life story," he said. "She's concerned about her (youngest) child in Florida."
Maisonet had a tough life, Fenton said. Also, she wants to be with her children.
"She's a little concerned about going to jail," he said. "That's why she ran."
Maisonet has family members in Florida, according to Fenton.
It's the second time she was arrested by Pinellas County deputies, Rensel confirmed.
Maisonet was busted in May 2012 for driving without a license. She was released and, several months later, ordered to pay a fine, Rensel said.
It's unclear why she wasn't held for extradition then on her York County fugitive warrant.
The background: Maisonet pleaded no contest in October 2011 to aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. She was free pending her sentencing hearing, set for Nov. 28.
She assaulted York City Officer Kyle Pitts on Jan. 22, 2011, court records state. York City Police said she choked Pitts, pulled his communications radio from its holster and struck him in the head with it.
The assault happened the day after Hector Morales -- the father of at least one of Maisonet's children -- was convicted of first-degree murder. As she left the courtroom after Morales' conviction, she called out, "Thank you for hurting our kids!"
Morales was later sentenced to death.
Maisonet took the stand at Morales' penalty-phase hearing and urged jurors to spare his life. She told them it's wrong to take a father from his children.
Children: For her own pending criminal case, Maisonet made a similar argument, Sunday has said.
"She wrote a letter to the judge; in it she said she's pregnant (and has) four kids, and if she goes to state prison the children will be without a mother and on the street," Sunday said. "Of course, everyone is concerned for children. But you can't give people free passes for assault because they have children."
Maisonet entered an open plea, meaning it is up to Judge Snyder to impose sentence.
The father: Morales, 30, of York, remains on death row. He tried to avoid a 10-year prison sentence by killing the police informant set to testify against him in his felony drug-dealing case.
The victim, Ronald Lee Simmons Jr., 42, was fatally shot in his York City home about 1 a.m. July 16, 2009.
Morales broke into the home while the victim and his wife were asleep and gunned down Simmons on the stairs as he walked out of his bedroom, police said.
-- Staff writer Liz Evans Scolforo can also be reached at levans@yorkdispatch.com.
