Man faces life term for rape

Likely to be deported if ever released from prison
By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff Writer

Capital Gazette Communications Published 10/29/10

A suspected illegal immigrant admitted yesterday that he attacked a woman last summer as she walked in a quiet residential section of Eastport in Annapolis.

Angel G. Antonio-Chavarria, a 32-year-old citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape. In exchange prosecutors agreed only to drop 11 lesser charges.

While state sentencing guideline recommend Antonio-Chavarria serve between 12 and 20 years in prison, prosecutors announced plans yesterday to seek a life sentence.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8 in county Circuit Court in Annapolis.

The victim of the June 21 rape, a 25-year-old woman from Arnold, did not attend yesterday's hearing.

Assistant Public Defender Denis O'Connell declined to comment after the hearing.

In court, Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Howell recounted the rape in graphic detail.

She said the victim left a friend's house shortly before 2 a.m. and started to walk to her car. While in the 900 block of Wells Avenue, a man grabbed her from behind, pushed her to the ground and pulled off her shorts. On a driveway between two houses, he raped her, Howell said.

After the assault, the victim was able to escape and seek help at a nearby house.

Police linked Antonio-Chavarria to the rape after tracking the victim's stolen cell phone to his apartment on Ashton Court. There, detective found Antonio-Chavarria and saw him holding what turned out to be the victim's cell phone.

DNA also linked Antonio-Chavarria to the rape.

Howell said detectives questioned Antonio-Chavarria on June 26 with the help of a translator. During the interview, Antonio-Chavarria said he had consensual sex with a woman the night of the alleged attack in the area of Wells Avenue. He told police the victim handed him her cell phone after they had sex and he had tried to reach her to give it back.

Howell said the victim and her family received several "vulgar" phone calls June 25 and June 26 from an unidentified Hispanic man.

The victim - who was drunk at the time of the assault - initially told police she was attacked by two white men with "Eastern European" accents, prosecutors said. The victim said she was raped by both men.

Prosecutors, however, said yesterday they believed Antonio-Chavarria acted alone.

If Antonio-Chavarria is ever released from prison, prosecutors expect him to be deported.

Kristin Fleckenstein, a spokesman for the State's Attorney Office, said federal immigration officials have filed a detainer against Antonio-Chavarria with the county detention center in order to make sure he is not released.

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