Only 1 sentenced in Morristown rape

BY PEGGY WRIGHT
DAILY RECORD
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

12 Comments

An illegal immigrant who yanked a woman off a sidewalk in Morristown and raped her was sentenced today to 20 years in state prison but his cohort , who admitted holding the victim down during the assault, wants to withdraw his guilty plea.

Joel Armando Romero, 28, who is in this country illegally from Honduras, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison and must serve 17 years before parole consideration for the July 10, 2005 attack. Romero apologized, saying he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time and felt "a mental confusion that made him attack the woman."

The woman has been identified as a young adult from the United Kingdom who was working an internship in the United States when she was attacked.

Romero admitted to pulling the victim off a sidewalk and raping her with the help of a passing stranger -- Juan Amendano, 26, an illegal alien from Ecuador.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office had recommended that Romero serve 30 years in prison but Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Falcone had said he would likely impose a 20-year term, with 85 percent to be served before parole eligibility. Romero is likely to be deported to his country upon release.

Amendano's plea offer called for him to serve between eight and 10 years in prison on his guilty plea to aggravated sexual assault and he, too, faces deportation when released.

Today, Amendano told the judge he did nothing wrong and wants to withdraw his guilty plea. During his plea in April, he told the judge he came upon Romero raping the woman in a patch of woods off Lafayette Avenue and that he held her down at Romero's request.

The judge said he will decide at a hearing in March whether Amendano can withdraw his plea.

Both men pleaded guilty in Morristown before Falcone, but the judge is set to sentence them this afternoon in Passaic County, where he was transferred in September.

The victim was not present but a statement from her was read in court. She said the attack has completely changed her personality and made her afraid to go out alone at night.

"I feel like I have lost all my independence as I will not go anywhere after dark alone," the statement said.


http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 0880108009