Victorville Man, 38, Gets 2 Life Sentences For Raping 14-Year-Old Family Friend During Burglary
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — A Victorville man has been sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole for raping a 14-year-old girl during a burglary.
Leonel Lopez Reyes, 38, was convicted last month on a series of charges, including forcible oral copulation, forcible rape, lewd acts on a child under 14 and first-degree residential burglary related to the 2011 crime.
"Under Chelsea's Law we were able to prosecute the defendant and seek a sentence of life without the possibility of parole," Lead Deputy District Attorney Kathy DiDonato said.
Chelsea's Law is named after 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway, who was raped and murdered while jogging in a park in 2010. Among the crimes that carry potential sentences of life without parole under the law are rape, lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, continuous sexual abuse of a child that were committed during a kidnapping, first-degree burglary or that resulted in great bodily injury.
"In a perfect world, children would not be victims of sex crimes," DiDonato said. "Children should feel safe in their own homes, and this particular defendant stripped the 14-year-old victim of that feeling of safety. Now she can feel safe in her home once again, knowing that defendant Reyes will never have the opportunity to hurt her again."
On June 22, 2011, Reyes went to the victim's apartment under the guise of repaying the victim's mother $100. Reyes was a family friend. The victim was home alone while her sister was at school and her mother was at work, details that Reyes was aware of before going to the home.
The victim slightly opened the door, took the money and quickly attempted to close the security screen door. Reyes grabbed the door and forced it open. Reyes looked around to make sure nobody was in the tiny residence and then forced the victim down onto the couch, where he raped her.
When Reyes completed the acts, he ordered the victim to shower and not to tell her mother. The victim did as she was told, but after showering, she called her best friend, crying, and told her friend what happened. The friend disclosed to her own father that the victim had been raped, and the crime was reported to law enforcement.
