By Ivan Pereira
A St. Albans man will be spending nearly a century behind bars for burglarizing several homes and assaulting two of the owners, including a woman who was six months pregnant, the Queens district attorney said.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory Lasak sentenced Kenneth Washington, 31, of 118-19 193rd St., to 90 years in prison Jan. 19 after his conviction on burglary, assault, criminal sexual act and sexual assault charges, DA Richard Brown said.
Washington went on a crime spree between 2006 and 2007 and not only stole from three homes throughout Queens, but attacked two of the tenants who encountered him during two burglaries, according to Brown.
“The defendant purposely waited for his victims to be home alone and then broke into their homes and viciously beat them and stole their property. His actions clearly show that he is a threat to society and is deserving of the lengthy sentence imposed today by the court,” he said in a statement.
On Aug. 16, 2006, Washington broke into the Queens home of Detective Cassandra Whitaker while she was sleeping in her bedroom, the DA said. Whitaker awoke and saw Washington going through her dresser so she reached for her service-issued gun from her night stand, according to Brown.
The suspect fought the officer and took her gun before he began beating her in the head with it, the DA said. Washington escaped with her gun, jewelry and badge, but Whitaker was able to call 911 from her cell phone, Brown said.
She was taken to a hospital where she was treated for her injuries, including head lacerations that took 30 staples to close, according to Brown. The detective also suffered blindness from a swollen eye, permanent head injuries and dizziness, headaches and nausea, the DA said.
Investigators were able to find a bloody shirt not too far from Whitaker’s home that contained Washington’s DNA, according to the DA.
Four months later, the suspect broke into a Bellerose home and stole jewelry, video games and other items, while the female owner was out at work, Brown said. The police recovered a pair of gloves that were left at the scene and also contained Washington’s DNA, according to Brown.
On July 15, 2007, Washington broke into the home of a 26-year-old woman who was six-months pregnant and sexually assaulted her before burglarizing her residence, the DA said. The victim was able to escape by locking herself in a bathroom and jumping out of the window to safety, Brown said.
She was admitted to a hospital for a week to monitor her unborn baby, according to the DA.
Investigators found Washington’s DNA on a container of iced tea that he drank from while inside the home, Brown said.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
