A former New York City cab driver accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at gunpoint in the back of his taxi will spend over a decade behind bars for what the Brooklyn district attorney called a “brutal and horrific” attack. Rafael Martinez, 35, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape on June 26. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 20 years post-release supervision. After his release, Martinez must also register as a sex offender.
In late summer 2020, Martinez picked up the underage victim from her grandmother’s residence in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood and was instructed to drive her home to Bedford-Stuyvesant, according to the DA’s office. Instead, he pulled over, loaded a firearm, and told the girl: “If you say anything, these bullets are for you.” Martinez then crawled into the backseat with the victim, and punched and raped her. During the drive, he pulled over a second time and raped her again, authorities said. She arrived home more than two hours later.
Source: The Messenger
