Jan. 2, 2014

Written by
Erik Shilling
lohud.com


Silvio Raul Illescas

An Elmsford construction worker charged in the violent sexual assaults of four women, including three prostitutes, pleaded guilty Thursday to four felonies, which could send him to state prison for life.

Silvio Raul Illescas, 39, ordered one woman, a stranger, into his car in 2011 before choking and assaulting her behind a Home Depot in Yonkers; three other women, all prostitutes, were sexually assaulted in February and March at hotels in Greenburgh and Tarrytown.

On Thursday, in Westchester County Court in White Plains, Illescas pleaded guilty to two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of rape, and one count of assault, all felonies; he is expected to receive 20 years to life when he is sentenced next month.

Illescas has been held without bail since March 4. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.

The three prostitutes — from Washington state, California and Pennsylvania — all advertised their services on backpage.com, charging about $200 an hour, police have said. The fourth woman was walking near Massaro Park in Elmsford about 9 p.m. Aug. 11, 2011, when Illescas asked her for directions, grabbed her purse and threatened to kill her. He then drove her to a secluded area near Austin Avenue and Sprain Road and assaulted her, authorities said.

Illescas was linked to that assault through a national DNA database.

“If not for all four of these women immediately crying out, contacting police and helping with the investigation, this serial rapist, who was becoming increasingly more violent, would still be at large,” Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore said in a statement.

Illescas, an illegal immigrant who worked for RNC Carpentry Concepts, a business he runs with an Ossining girlfriend, was arrested after allegedly attacking the three prostitutes in February and March. He is accused of bringing a 6-inch knife to those attacks, which occurred on Feb. 13 at the Westchester Marriott in Greenburgh, Feb. 23 at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Tarrytown; and March 3 at the La Quinta Hotel in Greenburgh. He was arrested the next day.

http://www.lohud.com/article/2014010...ltiple-attacks