New York City Police Officer Michael Pena.
Former NYPD cop Michael Pena, convicted of terrorizing and sexually assaulting a Manhattan school teacher at gunpoint, will be 103 years old when he gets his first shot at parole.
Pena, 27, got hit Monday with a 75-year-to-life sentence which means that he will likely die in prison.
The sentence brought a rare smile to the face of the 25-year-old victim, who was outraged when the same jury that convicted Pena of sexual assault deadlocked on whether he actually raped her.
“That day was supposed to be a new beginning for me,” the nervous victim told the court in a high-pitched voice before Pena was sentenced. “My life has been shattered.”
She said Pena destroyed forever her sense of security and independence.
“This has impacted every single aspect of my life,” she said. “He used his weapon and basically destructed my life with the choice he made that day."
In a last-ditch plea for mercy, Pena — looking a bit dishevelled with his hair sticking out on the left side of his head — apologized to the victim for what he called “the incident,” saying:
Pena paused for a moment and then resumed speaking.
“I deserve my punishment,” he said. "I will always carry the shame and burden of my actions. I have no explanation for what happened that day."
Judge Richard Carruthers was unmoved by Pena’s words.
"She was a young woman at the time of the incident looking forward to teaching underprivileged little children their ABCs, unaware of the evil incident that was about to undertake her," said Carruthers.
“Michael Pena is a sexual predator. He repeatedly threatened to shoot her in the face. Michael Pena acted purposefully and intentionally throughout this dreadful incident.”
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. said Pena deserved the max.
“Today’s life sentence underscores the brutal nature of the defendant's attack on an innocent young woman," Vance said. “I commend the victim for her bravery throughout this process.”
The jury deadlocked on the rape charges against Pena, even though his semen was found on the victim’s underwear, a doctor testified there was evidence of rape and a witness testified she saw a rape.
Instead, the jury convicted Pena of six other sexual assault charges and predatory sexual assault in the upper Manhattan attack.
After that, the NYPD fired Pena.
The mixed verdict in the controversial case didn’t just outrage the victim, it infuriated legions of New Yorkers who could not fathom why the jury failed to convict Pena of rape.
But nobody was more devastated than the young woman who was waiting for her ride to school when the drunken cop dragged her into an Inwood alley last August — and threatened to shoot her if she did not submit to his depravity.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
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