Defendant: Carlos Paute (DOB 07/17/94)

March 15, 2019 -- The Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Carlos Paute of White Plains was sentenced to prison for raping a woman on her way home from the White Plains Transit Center in November 2017.

Westchester County Court Judge Barry Warhit sentenced Paute to 14 years in state prison and 15 years post-release supervision. After which, he will have to register as a sex offender under SORA (Sex Offender Registration Act) guidelines.

In Court
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez, Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, read from the victim’s impact statement which addressed Paute: “You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence and my own voice until today.” She added, “I am a real person who went through torture. I am not a statistic or a nameless face on the street. I am your sister, your daughter, wife or your girlfriend. What happened to me was real.”

Background
On Nov. 8, 2017, at approximately 11 p.m. the defendant followed his victim after she left the White Plains Metro-North train station. Paute and the victim did not know each other. She was walking on a footpath adjacent to the Cadillac dealership, which accesses an apartment complex on Rockledge Avenue. As she turned onto Rockledge, the victim heard someone running up behind her and she turned in his direction. Paute then grabbed the victim in a headlock, punched her and forced her to the ground. He continued to strike her and covered her mouth and nose. Panicked and unable to breath, the victim stopped screaming. At that time, despite the victim repeatedly telling him “no,” Paute raped her.

He then threatened her if she ran away quickly. Once he fled, the victim redressed, ran home, and called police. She was treated at Westchester County Medical Center for her injuries.

The investigation was led by White Plains Police. They arrested Paute a few days after the attack.

Paute pleaded guilty to Rape in the First Degree, a class B violent felony, in December, 2018.

Assistant District Attorneys Michelle Lopez, Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, and Joseph Servino of the Superior Court Trial Division.

Carlos Paute

Carlos Paute

 In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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