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Rockland DA: JURY CONVICTS SPRING VALLEY MAN ON MULTIPLE RAPE CHARGES

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1 year ago

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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced today that Rigoberto Lopez Castro, 26 of Spring Valley, New York was convicted of three violent felonies following a two-week jury trial before the Honorable Kevin J. Russo, stemming from criminal acts committed by the defendant on two consecutive nights in 2022 in the Village of Spring Valley.

On September 12, 2022, the defendant forcibly raped the victim, a female previously known to the defendant. The defendant held a belt to the victim’s neck and hit her multiple times. On the following night, September 13, 2022, the defendant unlawfully broke into the victim’s home and locked bedroom, and he again forcibly raped her. He put his hands around her neck and hit her repeatedly. As a result of these attacks, the victim suffered significant pain and sustained multiple bruises about her body and a ligature mark on her neck. She received treatment at a local hospital.

Rigoberto Lopez Castro was convicted on the following charges:

• 1 count of Rape in the First Degree (Penal Law §130.35(1)) (B Felony)
• 1 count of Rape in the First Degree (Penal Law §130.35(1)) (B Felony)
• 1 count of Burglary in the First Degree (Penal Law §140.30(1)) (B Felony)

District Attorney Tom Walsh said, “This conviction reaffirms my commitment to holding perpetrators of sexual violence accountable for their actions. I commend the investigation by our partners in law enforcement and the excellent prosecution by lead counsel Senior Assistant District Attorney McNiff and Executive Assistant District Attorney Guccione. No individual should ever be held against their will or be the victim of sexual abuse, the defendant in this case will now be facing a lengthy prison term at sentencing.”

The defendant is scheduled for sentencing on June 4, 2024 and faces up to 25 years in state prison on each count. The defendant is currently incarcerated in the Rockland County Jail, where he has been held since his arraignment on these charges.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily McNiff and Executive Assistant District Attorney Tina Guccione prosecuted the case.

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Crime

Haverstraw Police Arrest Suspect in Connection with Residential Burglary

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3 days ago

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April 1, 2025

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On March 31, 2025, the Haverstraw Police Department located and arrested Carlos Sepulveda, 43, of West Haverstraw, New York, in connection with a residential burglary that recently occurred. Mr. Sepulveda was identified as the suspect depicted in a circulated image related to the incident.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation into a reported incident where a suspect allegedly entered a residence and stole a package.
Mr. Sepulveda has been charged with the following:
Burglary 2nd Degree (Class C Felony)
Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree (Class B Misdemeanor)
Petit Larceny (Class A Misdemeanor)
Following his arrest, Mr. Sepulveda was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court. He was subsequently remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility.

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Crime

Rockland County Court Rejects Convicted Murderer’s Eighth Attempt To Vacate Conviction

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1 week ago

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March 27, 2025

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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II, announced today that, in a decision issued on March 25, 2025, Rockland County Court Judge Kevin F. Russo rejected the latest attempt by convicted murderer Amer Zada to have his conviction vacated. The court noted that this motion is the eighth time Zada has sought to reverse or vacate his conviction.
In 1980, Zada was convicted of the murder of seventeen-year-old Shirley Smith in a Village of Nyack parking lot. He was also convicted of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse as a result of his attack on Ms. Smith. At his trial, Zada was represented by William Kunstler, a world-renowned defense attorney who had gained notoriety for successfully defending many high profile and controversial clients.
In its decision, the court described the defendant’s current motion as being largely based on Zada’s claim that certain documents were not turned over to him prior to trial.
“The court found that Zada had failed to adequately establish this speculative claim as he provided no direct evidence that he had never received the documents. I would like to commend Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan for his dedication and professionalism representing the Office in this proceeding.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh.
The court also found that, even assuming that the documents had not been turned over, they were of little importance in the case against Zada and none of them were exculpatory within the meaning of the law. In addition, the court found that Zada’s motion to vacate his conviction raised only minor inconsistencies in the case against him, most of which were thoroughly explored by Mr. Kunstler during the trial. In conclusion, the court found that Zada had not offered anything to justify vacating his conviction.

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