Hudson Valley Man Violently Raped Elderly Woman
A Hudson Valley man with a previous manslaughter conviction violently raped an elderly woman.
On Thursday, the Appellate Division, Third Department unanimously affirmed the October 2014 sentencing of Luis Ortiz.
Ortiz was arrested after he raped an 80-year-old woman in her Town of Wawarsing. Ortiz also imprisoned the elderly woman and strangled her when she tried to scream for help, officials say.
In 2014, Ortiz was charged with rape, two-counts of burglary, unlawful imprisonment, strangulation and resisting arrest. He later pleaded guilty to rape.
According to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, as part of his plea deal, Ortiz waived his right to appeal and agreed to be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison if the people established he was a persistent violent felony offender.
Ortiz was found to be a persistent violent felony offender due to previously convictions for manslaughter and burglary, officials say. Ortiz was then sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
On appeal, Ortiz claimed that Ulster County Court failed to comply with the procedural requirements to sentence him as a persistent violent felon.
“The Appellate Division, Third Department completely rejected that assertion,” the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a press release.
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