Rape, Kidnapping Victim Confronts Attacker In Court As He's Sentenced To 20 Years
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Southland man convicted of raping and carjacking a woman in broad daylight in the parking lot of a Brentwood supermarket was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.
Gilbert Lozano Trejo, 58, pleaded guilty in 2011 to one count each of rape and carjacking former Brentwood resident Jane Piper in Aug. 2003.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero was at the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles as Piper made a statement saying she had forgiven Trejo prior to his sentence.
Man Convicted Of Raping, Kidnapping Woman In Brentwood Sentenced To 20 Years
In a statement released before sentencing, Piper wrote: "On Aug. 21, 2003, I was brutally beaten and raped in Brentwood. The rapist attempted to drive away holding me captive in my vehicle. But believing in my heart that he would kill me, I was able to jump out the window of the car as he sped off."
Eight years after the assault, Piper moved to Canada to make a fresh start. Within months of her arrival, however, authorities notified Piper that her rapist had been identified by cold case detectives using DNA testing.
But among her first statements addressed directly to Trejo, Piper thanked him for admitting to the crime.
"Before I go into detail about what your beating and raping me did to my life and did to me, I do want to thank you for taking responsibility for what you did," said Piper. "It means a lot to me that you have pleaded guilty."
"I acknowledge, Gilbert Trejo, that you did these horrible things to me," Piper added. "You intentionally made a conscious choice to do them. But I forgive you."
Trejo pleaded guilty to one count each of rape and carjacking. As part of the negotiated plea deal, Piper was given the opportunity to question Trejo before his sentence was handed down by Judge Elden S. Fox.
Piper hopes that by speaking out, she would encourage others to share their stories.
"Women are raped every single day, and yet we so very rarely hear from them," Piper said. "I do not want to be silent."
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