By Colleen Cronin
Boston Herald
BOSTON — Four state troopers attached to the Massachusetts State Police Academy will face involuntary manslaughter charges over the death of trooper trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia.
Sergeant Jennifer Penton, Trooper Edwin Rodriguez, Trooper David Montanez, and Trooper Casey LaMonte also face charges of causing serious bodily injury while participating in a training program involving physical exercise, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
In addition, Penton is facing a charge of perjury.
The charges were announced at a joint press conference Monday between Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Attorney David Meier, who was hired to complete an independent investigation into Delgado-Garcia’s death.
The four members of the State Police were a part of the Academy’s Defensive Tactics Unit.
“Factually and legally each of these individuals owed a duty of care to Enrique Delgado-Garcia and to his fellow trainees,” Meier said.
Delgado-Garcia was knocked unconscious during a boxing exercise at the State Police Academy on Sept. 12, 2024 and died the following day.
During the press conference, Meier said that Delgado-Garcia had been exhibiting concussion symptoms from a boxing match the day before he was knocked out, on Sept. 11.
“Reckless conduct resulted in Enrique Delgado-Garcia suffering concussion like symptoms as the result of unauthorized, unapproved and unsupervised boxing-related sparring exercises that occurred during academy training activities,” Meier said.
Penton, the supervisor of the unit, will also face a perjury charge for allegedly providing false statements to a grand jury about when she initially knew of Delgado-Garcia’s concussion symptoms.
In addition, according to a copy of a police report obtained by the Herald, Penton responded to a fatal cruiser crash in 2023 involving another trooper, State Police Sgt. Scott Quigle , a case that has received significant publicity lately.
Meier said that a special statewide grand jury indicted the state police officers, who have not been arrested but will be issued summons to be arraigned at a later date.
The grand jury heard from 150 witnesses, the vast majority state police officers, and examined 350 exhibits.
While the grand jury evidence concluded with charges for the four officers, it did not show that charges should be brought against the academy’s command staff, Meier said.
“There is no evidence that Enrique Delgado-Garcia was targeted in any way,” he added. “There is no evidence that anyone — academy staff, fellow trainees, or any others — harbored any personal animosity towards Enrique Delgado-Garcia .”
Meier acknowledged that through the investigation, he has not made any public comments. “The silence has been purposeful,” he said.
Both he and Campbell explained that it was because of the nature of the case and the need for a thorough investigation and proper grand jury process.
“I know to some that this process has felt long and opaque,” Campbell said. “Confidentiality is by design to ensure fairness for everyone involved.”
Campbell had appointed Meier as an independent investigator because of a conflict of interest within the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Delgado-Garcia began his career in public service as a witness advocate for the office.
“In no way is this investigation and the charges it has yielded a condemnation of all law enforcement,” Campbell said, adding that she sees the important work of police officers everyday. “Just as they protect us, it is our responsibility to ensure that our aspiring officers at the Massachusetts police training academy are protected from preventable harms.”
Campbell said that she looks forward to working with State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble to implement future reforms.
“Today is a difficult and somber day for the Massachusetts State Police as we continue to understand the events that led to the tragic death of Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia,” Noble said in a statement. “As a law enforcement agency, we respect the legal process and have fully cooperated with the independent investigation while remaining focused on our mission and continuing the important work of keeping Massachusetts communities safe.”
He noted that the State Police have taken steps to reform the agency since the trooper trainee’s death, including initiating an independent review by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and expanding supports for recruits.
“As the IACP review nears completion, our work continues with focus and resolve, guided by Enrique’s memory, and committed to the highest standards of professionalism, leadership, and training,” he said.
“Enrique Delgado-Garcia’s death was a terrible tragedy. I’ve said from the start that there needed to be a thorough investigation to fully understand how this happened and to make sure something like this never happens again,” Governor Maura Healey said in a statement. “Colonel Noble and his team also didn’t wait for the results of this investigation to make changes to the Academy to ensure the safety and success of all recruits, and I know they will continue this important work. My heart is with Enrique’s family and his brothers and sisters in the Massachusetts State Police, today and every day.”
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