An East New York man previously convicted of robbery and rape in a Brownsville park has been sentenced to 20 years to life thanks to positive DNA evidence, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Wednesday.
Jason Lopez was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo and was convicted of both third-degree robbery and first-degree rape after a trial in May.
According to evidence, at approximately 2 a.m. on Dec. 1, 2018, Lopez approached a 20-year-old woman near Herzl Street and Dumont Avenue while she was trying to help her friend get home after a party.
The defendant allegedly offered to help the two women, hailing a cab for the victim’s friend before offering to walk the victim home himself. The defendant then grabbed the victim’s hand and led her to Betsy Head Park.
There, the defendant asked the victim if she wanted to have sex. When she refused, the defendant pushed her onto the ground and raped her, according to the DA’s office. After the attack, the defendant stole the victim’s purse and phone, fleeing the scene when she began to yell.
The victim immediately reported the crimes to a bystander who then called 911 and brought her to the nearby 73rd Precinct.
DNA from the victim’s sexual assault evidence kit matched that of the defendant’s which was in police records from a prior felony conviction. He was arrested on Dec. 15, 2018.
“This was a horrific attack that left a young woman traumatized and a community shaken. With today’s sentence, the defendant is held accountable for this deplorable crime,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “I am committed to bringing to justice those who commit such brutal acts of sexual violence.”
