FILE 613 / 17 July 2025 / 178 MIN / full

The Sick Ripper

New Britain, ConnecticutListen

The town

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
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James says 'This is New Britain, New Britain Connecticut', in north central Connecticut, about 15 minutes outside Hartford, in Hartford County, area code 860 about 0:04:50

History, in brief

1687

New Britain was settled in 1687 and incorporated in 1871.

about 0:06:09

1754

The area was once known as the Great Swamp, when it was part of Berlin; in 1754 the colony approved it as a new parish and named it New Britain.

about 0:06:29

Town note

The city's motto is 'Industria implet', which James translates as 'Industry fills the hive and enjoys the honey'. Its nicknames are New Britsky, Hard Hitting New Britain and Hardware City.

about 0:06:03

Town note

It was nicknamed Hardware City because it was home to Stanley Works, the American Hardware Corporation and other big manufacturers.

about 0:06:56
All 9 history facts

1687

New Britain was settled in 1687 and incorporated in 1871.

about 0:06:09

1754

The area was once known as the Great Swamp, when it was part of Berlin; in 1754 the colony approved it as a new parish and named it New Britain.

about 0:06:29

Town note

The city's motto is 'Industria implet', which James translates as 'Industry fills the hive and enjoys the honey'. Its nicknames are New Britsky, Hard Hitting New Britain and Hardware City.

about 0:06:03

Town note

It was nicknamed Hardware City because it was home to Stanley Works, the American Hardware Corporation and other big manufacturers.

about 0:06:56

1913

By 1913 the American Hardware Corporation was the largest employer in Connecticut, and the city was known as the hardware capital of the world.

about 0:07:12

Town note

The wire coat hanger was invented in New Britain.

about 0:07:15

2010

In 2010 Stanley Works purchased Black and Decker, and the company remains headquartered in the city.

about 0:07:34

Town note

Famous people from the city include the photographer Annie Leibovitz and the baseball pitcher Steve Dalkowski; Charles Goodyear, who invented vulcanised rubber, lived and worked there.

about 0:08:01

Town note

The Little Poland neighbourhood on Broad Street fell on hard times in the 1990s and 2000s, and business owners asked the city to designate it Little Poland as a marketing move.

about 0:16:42

The figures, as told

Religious

about 50-50

Biggest faith: Catholic, 31.7%

about 0:12:10

Who lives here

White 42.3% · Black 11.5% · Asian 3% · Hispanic 40.9%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
▲ slightly above average

about 0:20:11

Violent crime
▼ slightly below average

about 0:20:31

Money

Median home value$228,900
Two-bedroom rentabout $1,350
Median household income$50,379 a year
Cost of livingabout 105

For sale

$199,000

Listing: two-bed, one-bath, 912 sq ft foreclosure

about 0:14:18

For sale

$350,000

Listing: three-bed, two-bath, 2,122 sq ft, half acre

about 0:15:05

For sale

$439,000

Listing: four-bed, three-bath, 4,348 sq ft, half acre

about 0:15:49
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2025

Population

"74,002"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:11:14

Women share of population

"about 52.5%"

Comparison: "way above the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:11:19

Median age

"33.2"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:11:26

Married share

"about 36%"

Comparison: "well below the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2025 about 0:11:42

Single with children

"30%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:11:51

Unemployment rate

"high"

Comparison: "normal for college towns". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:12:29

Religious share

"about 50-50"

Comparison: "just like the rest of the country". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2025 about 0:12:10

Catholic

"31.7%"

Comparison: "highest religion, as usual in the Northeast". No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:12:10

Median household income

"$50,379 a year"

Comparison: "normally almost $70,000 in the rest of the country". No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:12:36

Cost of living

"about 105"

Comparison: "100 is average". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:12:50

Median home cost

"$228,900"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:13:00

Average two-bedroom rental

"about $1,350"

Comparison: "above the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:13:41

Listing: two-bed, one-bath, 912 sq ft foreclosure

"$199,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:14:18

Listing: three-bed, two-bath, 2,122 sq ft, half acre

"$350,000"

Comparison: "price rose $100,000 about two weeks earlier". No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:15:05

Listing: four-bed, three-bath, 4,348 sq ft, half acre

"$439,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2025 about 0:15:49

Property crime

"slightly above average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2025 about 0:20:11

Violent crime

"slightly below average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2025 about 0:20:31

The reviews

2.5 / 5 · average of 4

5 stars

“Lived there all their life, the community is amazing and friendly and they feel safe outside, though there are worse parts and they would like improvements.”
about 0:08:29

3 stars

“A 'mutual understanding' with the city: not great, not bad; very local stores and close to Berlin, Southington and Plainville.”
about 0:09:00

1 star

“Dirty, lots of drinkers and irresponsible dog owners, litter and glass on the sidewalks, not safe for dog owners, big stray cat problem.”
about 0:09:41

1 star

“Awful place to live, criminals everywhere destroying everything, not even cockroaches and rats want to be there.”
about 0:10:23

In Connecticut

Closest episodes

  1. A Double Murder In Stereo SoundMiddletown, Connecticut · 20 August 202018 km / 11 miShow on map
  2. Mystery On The PathSimsbury, Connecticut · 29 May 202622 km / 14 miShow on map
  3. Is Granny A Psychopath?Barkhamsted, Connecticut · 20 October 202233 km / 21 miShow on map
  4. A Bloody SurpriseGuilford, Connecticut · 25 July 201938 km / 24 miShow on map
  5. Scrap Metal & Sexual UrgesBantam, Connecticut · 3 February 202238 km / 24 miShow on map

The story

New Britain is a city of about 74,000 people in Hartford County, north central Connecticut, around fifteen minutes from Hartford. Known as Hardware City, it was home to Stanley Works and the American Hardware Corporation, and has a large Polish community. It begins in 2003 with Nielsa Arizmendi, born in 1970, a mother of four and heroin user who worked as a prostitute under the name Maria. She was living in motels with her boyfriend of many years, Angel Sanchez, a convicted drug dealer, and the pair were each using many pieces of crack and bags of heroin a day. They knew him as a drinking and smoking friend and he gave them rides.

According to Sanchez, on the night of 25 July 2003 the two were walking to the Stop & Shop car park in Wethersfield, and he had talked Nielsa into quitting drugs. At about 2:45 a.m. he watched her get into the van, and it drove away. She never returned. Sanchez eventually reported her missing, but was told to wait. Her sister filed a missing persons report on 31 July. On 8 August Sanchez was arrested on a drugs charge, and Detective Derone began to suspect him.

The case

Murder of Nielsa Arizmendi

Victims

Nielsa Arizmendi (33). Born 1970, mother of four, heroin and crack user who worked as a prostitute under the street name Maria; partner of Angel Sanchez since they were in seventh grade

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 17 July 2025.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Detective Derone. lead detective on the case from the start; confronted with Nielsa's photo on the drive back from North Carolina
Mandy. ex-partner and mother of his two children, who left him in Florida

The timeline

  1. 1970 Nielsa Arizmendi is bornabout 0:20:57
  2. February 11th, 1970 is born, the youngest of four brothers, to older parents ( family bungalow)about 0:42:36
  3. age 14 picks up a prostitute for the first time, after taking his father's car at night (Hampton, Virginia)about 0:58:42
  4. when was 15 mother dies after cancer and strokes (Hampton, Virginia)about 0:57:12
  5. 1991 Aged 21, is living in a trailer near Orlando with Mandy and their infant son; she later leaves with the children ( trailer, Castleberry)about 1:02:32
  6. 1994 After his father's death shacks up with a prostitute for three days in Newport Newsabout 1:11:36
  7. 2001 moves to New Britain and runs a small landscaping business from his vanabout 1:13:40
  8. a few months before July 2003 gives Sanchez and Nielsa a lift from an Exxon station in the rain; they take $20 from his ashtray (Exxon station)about 0:28:20
  9. July 25th, 2003 About 2:45 a.m., Sanchez watches Nielsa walk across the empty parking lot, get into van and drive off (Stop & Shop parking lot)about 0:35:05
  10. about 6 a.m. that morning Sanchez returns to the parking lot and finds the van gone (Stop & Shop parking lot)about 0:36:40
  11. July 2003, per 's later account says Nielsa refused to finish a $20 sex act; he struck her with a wrench, tied her in the van, raped her repeatedly through the night and strangled her in the Motel 6 lot, then buried her in woods behind the strip mall (Motel 6 parking lot)about 2:19:10

The New Britain serial murders (six further victims)

Victims

Melanie Ruth Camellini (29). Waterbury woman with substance abuse problems, missing from January 2003; killed in Torrington; body found 2007, identified 2015
Janice Roberts (born Danny Lee Wizenot) (44). Transgender woman working as a prostitute, seen getting into a blue van outside Stop & Shop on June 18th, 2003; killed in a rage
Diane Cusack (53). New Britain woman with substance abuse problems, out of contact with her family; not reported missing for months
Joy Martinez (24). Joyveline Martinez, dental assistant student, disappeared October 10th, 2003, reported missing March 29th, 2004; found September 2013
Mary Jane Minard (40). New Britain substance abuse counsellor who disappeared in October 2003; identified September 2014
Marilyn Gonzales (26). Mother of two from Hillside Avenue, Waterbury, missing in 2003; one of the last found, April 2015

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 17 July 2025.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Jonathan Mills. cellmate, imprisoned for killing two women and two children in 2000; came forward in 2007 and drew an accurate map of the graves
Jessica Muskus. Waterbury woman who vanished in 2004 and was found in 2006; Ann Howard believes may be involved

The timeline

  1. January 14th, 1991 April Marie Stone, 21, vanishes near Apopka, Florida; found two days later stabbed and wrapped in a blanket. lived about 15 miles away; no evidence links him (Apopka highway)about 1:59:09
  2. late 2002 to early 2003, winter trip At a friend's home in Virginia or North Carolina throws out the stained bottom cushion of the van's benchabout 1:15:02
  3. January 1st, 2003 Melanie Ruth Camellini is last seen by her family (Waterbury)about 2:12:48
  4. February 2003 says he picks up Camellini in Waterbury, takes her to Torrington, tries to kill her with a hammer, then strangles her; he sleeps beside the body for two weeks (Torrington van parking spot)about 2:13:50

Last meals

  • Several of 's victims (by his own account). A meal bought at a McDonald's drive-through, eaten with , while the victim was half naked and tied up in the back of the van 's description to Ann Howard of giving victims a meal before killing themabout 2:10:36

Places and phrases

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Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode