16-YEAR-OLD PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES ARISING OUT OF HOME-INVASION RAPE

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the conviction of a teen who – at the age of 14 – viciously attacked a woman inside her home while her four-year-old daughter watched. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Rape in the First Degree, one count of Assault in the First Degree, one count of Burglary in the First Degree, and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

“The fact that this defendant was 14 years old when he violently raped and stabbed a mother in front of her own child in her own home remains shocking to say the least,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Thankfully, with this plea the victim will be spared from reliving this horrible crime at trial.”

On April 19, 2022, at approximately 3:15 p.m., the defendant and an accomplice broke into a home in Mastic Beach after waiting for one of its residents to drive away.  While inside the house looking for items to steal, the two found a locked bedroom door and kicked it in to gain entry. In that bedroom was a 23-year-old mother and her four-year-old daughter.  The defendant took the victim’s cellphone and made her open it with the passcode.   

Then, as his accomplice went through the bedroom looking for property to steal, the defendant sexually assaulted and strangled the mother in front of her child. After some time, she was forced into the hallway, where the sexual assault continued.

After the sexual assault, the defendant pulled out a switchblade, showed it to the victim, and then slashed her across her head and forehead.  He then stabbed the victim in her left upper-chest area and twisted the blade inside of her.  The victim was treated at a local hospital where she received stitches and staples to her head and face, stitching to her chest area and additional medical treatment.

On April 21, 2022, the defendant admitted taking part in the burglary of the victim’s home while he was being interviewed on that charge by the police. The defendant also consented to provide a buccal swab. Subsequently, members of the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory matched the DNA profile developed from the defendant’s buccal swab to a profile developed from a swab of the victim.   

On December 19, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Karen Kerr and will be sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison. The maximum term of incarceration was 3 1/3 to 10 years given the defendant’s age at the time of the commission of the crime. In addition, the teen is now a registered sex offender. The defendant was remanded without bail and remains in custody as he awaits his sentencing date.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, 2024. He was represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Veronica McMahon and Carlos J. Benitez II of the Major Crime Bureau with lead investigative assistance from Sgt. Lauren Ventura, Det. Sgt. Tulio Serrata, and Lt. James Bebry of the Suffolk County Police Department.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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