A Riverhead, New York, man was sentenced to 23 years in prison and 20 years of post-release supervision Wednesday, after pleading guilty to ‘brutally’ sexually abusing a 10-year-old, the Suffolk County District Attorney said.
Jose Carabantes Pineda, 37, pleaded guilty in February to first-degree criminal sexual act.
According to a press release from Suffolk County DA Raymond A. Tierney, Carabantes Pineda drove the 10-year-old victim to a Big Lots parking lot in Riverhead on March 20, 2021.
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He then bound the juvenile with duct tape before sexually assaulting her in the back of his minivan.
“The child screamed and banged on the windows of the vehicle in hopes that someone would help her as she attempted to fight the defendant off of her,” the release read.
A man walking past the vehicle heard the child scream from inside, and he knocked on the tinted windows, which were also fogged up.
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The man then called 911, providing the dispatcher information about the vehicle as it drove away, and he followed.
Carabantes Pineda drove to his home, moved the juvenile into a different vehicle then drove around.
Investigators learned that after Carabantes Pineda left in a different vehicle, he attempted to coach the child to tell police he had sideswiped a vehicle, which is why she was screaming.
Minutes after returning to his home a second time, Carabantes Pineda was arrested by the Riverhead police.
“The bravery of this young victim to fight back against her abuser, the quick reaction of a Good Samaritan, and the swift response by the Riverhead Police Department are the reason this predator was apprehended,” Tierney said. “The fact that there are individuals who prey on innocent children like this, is just incomprehensible. But make no mistake, once we catch them, like this defendant, we will do everything in our power to ensure they serve a lengthy prison sentence.”
Evidence was recovered from both vehicles, including pieces of duct tape that was used to bind the child’s hands.
The 10-year-old was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center to undergo a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination. Evidence collected from the child’s body led to the discovery of Carabantes Pineda’s DNA.
Detectives also learned during the investigation that Carabantes Pineda sexually abused the child for months before the incident.
On Feb. 24, 2023, Carabantes Pineda pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual act.
Judge Karen M. Wilutis sentenced Carabantes Pineda to 23 years in prison and 20 years of post-release supervision.
