A Long Island City man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping a woman in Sunnyside last year, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Matthew Luna, 27, pleaded guilty to the rape charge in January. In addition to the 12 year sentence, Luna will serve 10 years of post release supervision and be required to register as a sex offender.
On Feb. 15, 2019, Luna got onto a bus and spotted a 20-year-old woman, according to Katz. When she left the bus near 54th Street and Skillman Avenue, Luna followed, according to the charges.
Luna soon approached the woman and asked for directions to the nearest subway station. He continued to talk to her and eventually asked her for a hug, which caught the woman off guard, according to the charges. Luna then grabbed the woman and told her to “give me what I want so I don’t have to kill you,” the DA said.
Luna then hit the woman, pushed her against a vehicle, removed her pants and raped her, the charges state.
On Feb. 18, three days after the assault, Luna surrendered himself to police.
“The defendant has admitted to the sexual attack on this young woman. It was a vicious, violent act that should never happen on our streets,” Katz said.
