Guatemalan National Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Raping 14-Year-Old Girl; Impregnated Child and Fled After Birth
LONG ISLAND, NY – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the 17-year prison sentence of Lazaro Alberto Huertasperez, 30, a Guatemalan national, who pleaded guilty in November 2025 to Rape in the First Degree and other charges. According to prosecutors, Huertasperez gave a 14-year-old girl a glass of water containing an unknown substance that rendered her unable to move or control her body before sexually assaulting her.
Huertasperez committed a heinous crime. No child should ever go through the trauma that the 14-year-old victim in this case went through,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I hope today’s sentence serves as a reminder that my office will do everything in our power to protect children from predators.”
Court records and Huertasperez’s own admissions during his plea describe the events of the summer of 2021. The victim, then 14, was standing outside waiting for a ride to the laundromat when the defendant, a neighbor in the same multi-family home, approached her with a glass of water. Moments after drinking it, the girl became extremely drowsy and tried to make her way upstairs. Before she could reach safety, Huertasperez grabbed her around the waist and carried her as she lost control of her body, unable to move her arms or feel her legs. She had only fleeting memories of being taken into the defendant’s bedroom before slipping into unconsciousness. When she regained awareness, she was in severe pain and lying in his bed. Roughly nine months later, the child gave birth to a baby.
In April 2022, after discovering the victim had delivered a child, Huertasperez fled the area and flew to Guatemala. Paternity testing later verified that he was the biological father, corroborating the victim’s account.
On October 23, 2024, Huertasperez was arrested at the United States border when he attempted to illegally re-enter the country. United States Customs and Border Patrol became aware that Suffolk County had an outstanding warrant for Huertasperez’s arrest and notified the Suffolk County Police Department Fugitive Unit, who then brought him back to Suffolk County to face these charges.
Huertasperez pleaded guilty on November 5, 2025, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis to Rape in the First Degree, Rape in the Second Degree, Sexual Misconduct, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was sentenced on December 9, 2025, to 17 years in prison. Federal immigration authorities have filed a detainer requesting that he be deported when his sentence concludes.
Key Facts & Details
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Lazaro Alberto Huertasperez, 30 |
| Charges | – Rape in the First Degree (Class B violent felony) – Rape in the Second Degree (Class D violent felony) – Sexual Misconduct (Class A misdemeanor) – Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class A misdemeanor) |
| Incident Summary | Defendant provided the 14-year-old victim with a substance-tainted drink, causing extreme drowsiness and loss of bodily control, then carried her to his room where the assault occurred. |
| Date of Crime | Summer 2021 |
| Victim Outcome | Victim gave birth approximately nine months later; paternity testing confirmed the defendant as the biological father. |
| Defendant’s Flight | Left Suffolk County after learning of the birth in April 2022. |
| Arrest | Arrested on October 23, 2024, when authorities located an outstanding warrant. |
| Guilty Plea Date | November 5, 2025 |
| Sentencing | December 9, 2025 – sentenced to 17 years in state prison by Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis |
| Legal Status | Guatemalan national. ICE/DHS detainer and deportation filed |
| Defense Counsel | Chase Brown, Esq. |
| Investigating Agencies | Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Suffolk County Police Department Fugitive Unit; federal law enforcement officials |
