Source: Facebook/Jazzy Rowe
A freshman student from the University of Hartford, Brianna Brochu, has been arrested after her roommate,Jazzy Rowe, claimed that she was systematically poisoned over the first few weeks of the school year, in what is believed to have been an attempt to get her to move out.
Brochu may have exposed herself on an Instagram post
Brochu was taken into police custody by the West Hartford Police Department on October 28, having been charged with second-degree breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief, both of which are classified as misdemeanors.
Social media became an important part towards the case. In an Instagram post, Brochu claimed to have successfully gotten rid of her roommate on Instagram, dubbing her “Jamaican Barbie,” and seemingly confessed to tampering with items Rowe used on her person. As she explained in the full post, “Finally did it yo girl got rid of her roommate!! After 1 1/2 month of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons (on) her backpack, putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn’t shine and so much more I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie.” Brochu’s account is private, but screenshots of the post have leaked online.
For her part, Rowe explained her side of the story in a Facebook post. “As a young African American woman I don’t want to become another statistic. When it comes to college incidents/crimes and racial cases justice needs to be served,” explained Rowe.
In a statement with The Hartford Courant, she later said she felt “ostracized” by Brochu. Elaborating on the story, she mentioned undergoing throat pains while living together and that she had been warned about Brochu’s claim to have tampered with her items by a neighbor who read Brochu’s Instagram posts. She later explained more of what had happened on a Facebook video.
Rowe later developed the story in a Facebook video
University President also released a statement over the incident, saying that, “I am writing to you this evening to send a strong message regarding an incident that is deeply upsetting to me, our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. One of our students was the alleged victim of bullying and her story was shared across social media.”
“Let me be clear: the accused student’s behavior was reprehensible and does not reflect the values of our institution. Let me also be clear that I am confident the University has taken all steps to pursue this matter seriously, and will continue to do so.” Rowe believes that Brochu’s actions were likely racist in nature, saying that, “I don’t understand why, which is why I think it’s a whole racial/hate issue.”
According to The Tab, Brochu has since been released and is currently out on bail for $1,000. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a potential fine. Set to appear in court Wednesday, she also risks further punishment from the school itself, such as the loss of her scholarship.
Update: According to court documents, uploaded by Heavy, Brochu admitted to police that she had tampered with Rowe’s personal items, including smearing tampon blood on her backpack.
She has since been charged with breach of peace of the second degree and criminal mischief in the third degree, with the cased being moved to Hartford Superior Court. While currently free on $1,000 bail, she is banned from the University of Hartford’s campus and has been ordered by the court to have no contact with Rowe.
West Hartford Police have said that they hope to add an additional charge of second-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias to Brochu’s current list of charges. A felony charge, Brochu could up one to five years if convicted.
Rowe has said that she has been quite busy promoting her story to the press. “It’s time we fight back and stop being silenced!” she wrote in a post on social media.
On social media, many have offered their support to Rowe over what has happened, with the hashtag, #JusticeForJazzy.
