ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – In a significant verdict delivered by a Rockland County jury, Rigoberto Lopez Castro, a 26-year-old resident of Spring Valley, New York, has been found guilty of committing a series of violent felonies across two days in 2022. The conviction follows a rigorous two-week trial presided over by the Honorable Kevin J. Russo, shedding light on harrowing events that have deeply impacted the Village of Spring Valley community.
The sequence of crimes began on September 12, 2022, when Lopez Castro forcibly raped a woman who was previously acquainted with him. During the attack, he exerted control and inflicted harm by using a belt to choke the victim and striking her multiple times. The brutality continued the next night, on September 13, when Lopez Castro broke into the victim’s residence and her locked bedroom, where he once again committed rape under threats of violence, including strangulation and repeated physical assaults. These attacks left the victim in significant pain, with multiple bruises and a ligature mark around her neck, necessitating medical treatment at a local hospital.
Lopez Castro’s conviction encompasses three violent felony charges:
- Two counts of Rape in the First Degree (Penal Law §130.35(1)), classified as B felonies.
- One count of Burglary in the First Degree (Penal Law §140.30(1)), also a B felony.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II, in response to the verdict, reiterated his office’s dedication to prosecuting sexual violence with utmost rigor. He praised the investigative efforts of law enforcement partners and the prosecutorial diligence of Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily McNiff and Executive Assistant District Attorney Tina Guccione. Walsh emphasized the broader message of the conviction: a reaffirmation of the justice system’s commitment to holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable and the uncompromising stance against sexual abuse and coercion.
Lopez Castro awaits sentencing on June 4, 2024, with the possibility of facing up to 25 years in state prison for each charge. He remains incarcerated at Rockland County Jail, where he has been detained since his initial arraignment on these charges. This case underscores the legal and moral imperative to protect individuals from sexual violence and to ensure that justice is served for victims of such heinous crimes.