Montville ― An Uncasville woman will serve five years in prison for leaving her injured boyfriend to die on the floor of her apartment last year.

Diana Nobleza, 55, pleaded guilty on Thursday in New London Superior Court to charges of second-degree manslaughter and intentional cruelty to persons in the Oct. 13, 2022, death of 64-year-old Richard Lenda. The sentence is part of a plea agreement reached to settle the case short of trial.

Lenda, a retired Montville police officer, was found unresponsive on the living room floor of the couple’s Leffingwell Road home.

Investigating police determined the two had been drinking and argued the night before and that Nobleza, who initially gave contradictory statements about what had happened, had pushed Lenda against a wall, causing him to hit the back of his head and fall to the ground, police reports show.

Police said Nobleza left Lenda lying on the floor until about 4 a.m. when she noticed he was still bleeding and placed a pillow under his head, Assistant State’s Attorney Christa Baker said.

Nobleza told police that Lenda had refused her request to go to the hospital for treatment of his injury.

Baker said Nobleza left the home to run errands, came back home at 7 a.m. to find the blood had soaked through the pillow he was lying on. She threw out the pillow, took a shower and came out to find him unresponsive. Police said Nobleza had made a trip to a methadone clinic at 6 a.m. that morning.

During an interview, police said Nobleza initially claimed she had taken a shower at 10 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 13, 2022, and came out to find Lenda unresponsive. Records show that Nobleza called 911 at 1:26 p.m., police said.

Nobleza had lived with Lenda for about six years and acted as Lenda’s caretaker since he had numerous health issues, Baker said. Lenda’s family did not dispute the plea agreement, she said.

Under the plea agreement, Nobleza will serve five years followed by three years of probation. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21.

Nobleza is represented by attorney Joshua Grubaugh.

g.smith@theday.com