Portales man found guilty of 2018 rape case

PORTALES, New Mexico (KFDA) - A Portales man was found guilty today, stemming from a 2018 rape case.

The Ninth Judicial District Attorney said a jury found 54-year-old Erasmo Vega guilty of criminal sexual penetration, a third degree felony.

On Dec. 15, 2018, police were working a sexual assault case. The victim said Vega came over to her home to hang out and watch a movie.

While watching the movie, Vega told her, “you can give your love to your husband and give your body to me.”

She fell asleep and woke up to Vega taking her clothes off. He then raped her.

She tried to push him in the face and broke a lens out of his glasses.

During investigation, police found a lens on the bed and took a picture of a small scratch on the woman’s hand.

DNA was also collected and concluded that Vega’s DNA was found on the woman’s cheek and neck.

The Honorable Donna Mowrer presided over the jury trial and sentenced Vega to the maximum punishment of three years in the Department of Corrections followed by lifetime parole and lifetime sex offender registration.

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