A Corona man admitted he sexually attacked an elderly neighbor inside her apartment in 2019.
Rodrigo Escamilla, 28, of 104th Street, pleaded guilty to a criminal sex act charge for violating a 74-year-old woman inside her Corona home after he was captured on incriminating surveillance video, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Escamilla pleaded guilty Thursday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant.
Katz said on the night of July 17, 2019, between midnight and 1 a.m., Escamilla knocked on the victim’s apartment door. When she opened the door, the defendant forced his way into the apartment and struck the elderly woman in her skull with a bottle. He dragged her into a bedroom where he held her down and sexually assaulted her.
Officers from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights responded to the scene and EMS rushed the victim to a local hospital in stable condition. Members of the NYPD Special Victims Squad took Escamilla into custody two days later.
Katz said surveillance video obtained by the NYPD showed Escamilla following the victim into her building’s lobby and showed him later approach her apartment door.
“The defendant viciously violated an elderly woman in a place that is supposed to be her safe place of refuge,” Katz said. “Those who prey on members of our elderly community will be held accountable by my office. “The defendant has now admitted guilt for his criminal actions and faces a lengthy prison term at sentencing.”
Justice Pandit-Durant ordered Escamilla to return to court on May 27 and indicated that she will impose a sentence of 15 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of post-release supervision. He will also be required to register as a sex offender at the time of his release.
