New York Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Jose Arroyo, a 47 year old ex-NYPD cop and ex-Marine, was convicted by a Westchester County jury of two counts of rape and one of New York felony assault on November 24th. The jury acquitted Mr. Arroyo of two counts of felony kidnapping. The facts are that on November 14, 2008, Mr. Arroyo met the 31 year old victim at Doyle’s Pub in the Bronx. The woman was visiting a friend from Texas. Mr. Arroyo apparently spiked the woman’s drink with Ambien, which the evidence showed he had a prescription for. When she passed out, Mr. Arroyo took the victim to the Alexander Motel in Greenburgh, where he sexually assaulted and raped her. He then took several nude photographs of the victim.
The defense was that the sexual relations were consensual and that Mr. Arroyo did not drug the victim. The problem with this defense was that the victim is a lesbian and testified that she never would have consented to sexual relations with any man. Further, the jury was provided a security video from Doyle’s Pub which apparently showed Mr. Arroyo moving his hand over the woman’s drink, stirring the drink, and then handing it to her. During deliberations, the jury asked to see the video several additional times; this video obviously played a large part in the conviction.
Mr. Arroyo is incarcerated in the Westchester County Jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2010 and faces a maximum jail term of 25 years on the rape charges.
Contact the Westchester County Criminal Defense Lawyers at the Law Office Of Mark A. Siesel online or toll free at (914) 428-7386 if you, a family member or friend is charged with any criminal offense or traffic infraction for a free consulation with an experienced, knowledgeable lawyer to discuss your legal rights and options.