Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Raping 73-Year-Old Woman In Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York City woman had harsh words Wednesday for the rapist who victimized her while she was watching birds in Central Park.
The woman, 74, called David Albert Mitchell, 43, a "sexual terrorist'' as he was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison.
She described the Sept 12, 2012 attack and injuries that included a damaged jaw. She told Mitchell, "May you rot in hell for all eternity.''
Mitchell, who hails from West Virginia and has a long criminal record, pleaded guilty on Oct. 1 to raping and robbing the woman last year.
According to his guilty plea, Mitchell approached the woman in Central Park, grabbed her from behind and forcefully hit her head on the ground. After assaulting and raping the woman, Mitchell fled with her camera bag.
The victim immediately reported the attack and her injuries to the police.
According to the Mitchell's guilty plea, three weeks earlier on Aug. 20, 2012, Mitchell argued with a man in Central Park and pulled a knife on him. He was not injured.
The sentence includes being charged with but not convicted of sexually assaulting two women over age 70. He also went to prison in the abduction of an ex-girlfriend.
"This lengthy prison sentence ensures that David Mitchell, a sexual predator, will spend decades in prison and off our streets," said District Attorney Cy Vance. "Attacks on vulnerable victims in public places terrify all New Yorkers, who have the right to feel safe in our city's parks."
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