Rapist Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For 'Vicious' West Village Attack
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Manhattan District Attorney announced the sentence Tuesday for a Brooklyn man accused in a "vicious assault" on a 29-year-old woman.
Ivan Ramos, 22, will now serve 20 years in prison for raping a woman in the stairwell of a West Village apartment building last April.
DA Cyrus Vance, Jr. said Ramos, who pleaded guilty to first-degree rape, two counts of criminal sexual assault and assault, "will be off the streets of New York for a very long time."
Vance said Ramos admitted to approaching the victim, who had lost her cell phone, cash and other personal belongings around 6 a.m. on April 15, 2012.
Ramos falsely told the victim that he was a Neighborhood Watch member and convinced her to hand over her ATM card to help her withdraw money, the district attorney's office said.
The victim asked Ramos to take her to the nearest police precinct, but Vance said he instead took her to an isolated exterior stairwell of an apartment building on Perry Street and attacked her.
Vance said in a press release that Ramos raped the victim in a "dark and enclosed space for approximately 15 minutes, using his hands to stifle her screams."
"This was a vicious assault on a trusting young woman," said Vance. "The defendant made his victim believe that he was helping her, but instead, he tricked her when she was vulnerable, and then attacked her."
Neighbors heard the victim's cries and alerted police officers. Ramos was identified and apprehended by authorities shortly after the incident, Vance said.
In addition to the prison sentence, Ramos will also be subject to 20 years of post-release supervision.
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