Man Faces Life In Prison For 'Prank' Sex Attack
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — A former Northern California high school student who defended the attempted rape and kidnapping of a teacher as a "prank" failed to persuade a jury, which convicted him on all charges.
David Velasquez, 21, was convicted this week in San Mateo County after prosecutors said he attacked a teacher with a knife in a parking garage at Summit Preparatory Charter High School in Redwood City in 2012.
Authorities said Velasquez had a fixation for the teacher, and had planned to rape her when he covered his face and eyes and surprised the teacher with a knife.
The two got into a physical struggle until being interrupted by another instructor, who screamed.
Velasquez said he was merely trying to scare the teacher with a "senior prank."
"A prank could be anything; funny, scary," said Velasquez, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
The attacks rocked the students and faculty at the school, which is high performing and was ranked as one of America's best by Newsweek in 2011.
Velasquez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and remains in the San Mateo County jail on $1 million bail. He faces sentencing on Nov. 8.
