In article <t2ml1i$3ntd7$29@news.freedyn.de>
<governor.swill@gmail.com> wrote:

Victor Pe�a, the man accused of abducting a woman after she left
a Boston bar in January 2019 and repeatedly raping her in his
apartment over multiple days, subjected his victim to �three
days of hell� before she was rescued, a prosecutor told jurors
during opening statements at Pe�a�s trial Monday.

�A night out with her twin sister and some friends turned into
almost three days of hell, three days of fear, three days of
isolation,� said Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum
during his opening remarks in Suffolk Superior Court, where the
42-year-old Pe�a is standing trial on charges of kidnapping and
10 counts of aggravated rape. He has pleaded not guilty.

Pe�a, who has repeatedly spoken out of turn and acted out in
court during the legal proceedings, was not in the courtroom for
opening statements. Judge Anthony Campo told jurors that Pe�a
had �elected to be in a separate room here in the building� with
an audiovisual feed and a Spanish interpreter.

Polumbaum said during his opening that the victim was so
intoxicated when Pe�a encountered her in the midst of a snow
storm she �was literally swaying in the wind as she tried to
walk.�

Pe�a escorted, led and at times carried the victim down the
street to the MBTA and his apartment in Charlestown, Polumbaum
continued, and over the next three days, a �regrettable blur�
turned into �an indelible nightmare.�

Lorenzo Perez, a lawyer for Pe�a, told jurors during his opening
that the case would be difficult and would turn on �bizarre� and
�strange� behavior that would call his client�s intent and state
of mind into question. Legal filings indicate Perez intends to
argue a defense of �lack of criminal responsibility because of
mental disease or defect.�

Pe�a sucked his thumb on the T platform the night he encountered
the woman and engaged in rambling speech and illogical rants,
including telling the victim how delighted he was to save her
and saying he wanted to have a family with her, Perez said.

�He lived behind a door of double locks and concerns,� Perez
said.

He asked jurors to remain open-minded and fair.

Campo had ruled earlier this month that Pe�a was competent to
stand trial, following a closed-door three-day hearing on his
mental health status. Pe�a had interrupted and delayed that
hearing with loud outbursts in Spanish that could be heard from
outside the courtroom.

Campo�s ruling on competency came after he heard testimony from
a doctor who evaluated Pe�a after a seven-day stay at
Bridgewater State Hospital. Campo impounded Dr. John Young�s
July 5 report.

The mental health hearing spanned three days. Before the hearing
was closed to the media and public, Suffolk Assistant District
Attorney Ian Polumbaum told the judge the report reiterated more
than sufficient evidence to find Pe�a is competent to proceed to
trial.

He�s been jailed without bail since his arrest in January 2019,
when a woman disappeared after leaving Hennessy�s Bar. If
convicted, the kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of
25 years in prison; each rape charge is punishable by up to 30
years.

Pe�a derailed his last trial in September when he fired his
lawyer after jurors were selected and ready to be seated because
the lawyer refused to defend the case by saying the victim was a
prostitute, which was a baseless claim, according to court
filings.

In past interviews with The Boston Globe, Pe�a older brother,
Jose Pe�a, said Pe�a mental capacity was sharply reduced at
about 7 years old, when his family found him in his room
suffering from a medical problem that had cut off oxygen to his
brain.

An intense search began after the woman disappeared after
leaving Hennessy�s on Jan. 19, 2019.

Police first saw Pe�a on surveillance video, following the woman
as she walked down Congress Street, and then at times carrying
her on Washington Street. He next escorted her onto the MBTA
Orange Line and walked her to his apartment in Charlestown.

The woman woke up the next morning with no memory of what had
happened, according to prosecutors. There was a deadbolt on the
door on the inside that required a key.

When police burst into Pe�a�s apartment they found the 23-year-
old victim sobbing and horrified. Pena stood in the kitchen,
ready to fight, according to a police report. Three officers
rushed him and wrestled him into handcuffs; four officers swept
inside and ushered the victim out.

Pe�a in January sought his release to receive medical treatment
for tumorous growths. But his bid included a �sole medical
record, which was �self-created,�� Campo wrote in his denial.

Travis Andersen of the Globe Staff contributed. Material from
prior Globe stories was used. This is a breaking news story that
will be updated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-accused-of-kidnapping-
and-raping-woman-subjected-victim-to-three-days-of-hell-
prosecutor-says/ar-
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