(CO) Trial of serial rapist who was shot by victim to begin08-13-01
—– Original Message —–
From: “Robert Waters” <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 3:18 PM
Subject: (CO) Trial of serial rapist who was shot by victim to begin08-13-01
Address:http://www.gazette.com/daily/loc2.htmlChanged:2:03 AM on Monday,
August 13, 2001
Rape suspect heads to trial
Woman, 72, may be case’s key witness
By Bill Hethcock/The Gazette
Jean Zamarripa, a 72-year-old, is glad she had her gun Nov. 18, the
night she opened fire on an intruder who broke down her door.
Police and prosecutors say the intruder
Zamarripa shot was Anthony Allen Peralez, 41, a serial rapist with a
preference for women over age 50.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a trial in which Peralez
faces 51 charges. If he’s convicted, he could spend the rest of his life
in prison.
Peralez is accused of burglarizing, raping and beating a 56-year-old
woman Sept. 2, 2000, on North Sheridan Avenue and a 74-year-old woman
Aug. 6, 2000, on Eagle View Drive.
He also is charged with burglarizing, kidnapping and raping a
51-year-old Security woman Sept. 12, 1999, on Rosemont Drive. Those
three cases targeted women who lived alone, and in each case the women
were forced to bathe or were cleaned after being sexually assaulted.
Peralez was arrested Nov. 18 after Zamarripa shot him twice while he was
trying to break into her Knob Hill home, police say. He is charged with
trespassing, burglary with intent to commit sexual assault and other
charges in the Zamarripa case.
Zamarripa, who will testify at Peralez’s trial, said shooting the
burglar was traumatizing, but she’s begun to heal. Her fears have faded
and her sense of security is slowly returning, she said.
“I’ve gone through a lot of highs and lows,” she said. “It has been
difficult, but with the support of family and friends, I am able to
cope.
“I believe in protecting one’s home with the use of firearms.”
The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office found Zamarripa’s actions to
be justified under a state law reaffirming the right to defend one’s
home.
Prosecutor John Newsome said DNA evidence will underpin the
prosecution’s case against Peralez.
Peralez’s lawyer, public defender William Griffin, would not comment
about the case.
Newsome said the victims’ ages and the fact they were burglarized and
attacked in their own homes makes this case unusual.
“There were four separate victims who did not know each other, who lived
alone,” Newsome said. “The youngest was 51 and the oldest is 74. All the
cases are linked by DNA.”
But Jennifer Edwards, sexual assault coordinator at the Center for
Prevention of Domestic Violence, said it’s not unusual for older women
to be rape victims.
She said the perception that most rape victims are young and attractive
is a myth. In reality, rapists often target the elderly and people with
physical, developmental or mental health disabilities, Edwards said.
But most rapists target someone they know, Edwards said. Only 14 percent
of rapes are committed against a stranger, she said. Police say there is
no evidence that Peralez knew any of the women he is accused of
targeting.
Crime statistics show 251 rapes were reported in Colorado Springs in
2000, 253 rapes in 1999 and 267 rapes in 1998.
For the first half of 2001, 119 rapes were reported. The victim was 50
years old or older in six of the 119 cases, according to police
statisticians. A breakdown by age was not available for the other years.
Edwards said nationwide only 16 percent of sexual assaults are reported.
An arrest and conviction occurs in less than one percent of the reported
cases, said Edwards, whose statistics came from the Colorado Coalition
Against Sexual Assault.
Edwards said by reporting the sexual assaults, the women Peralez is
accused of raping took an important step in deterring future attacks.
All too often, victims are afraid to come forward, she said.
“People have to report it to hold sex offenders responsible for their
behavior,” she said.
“The community needs to be able to discuss sex offenses freely and
openly without any stigma, blame or judgment attached.”
Peralez also is charged with being a habitual criminal, which could
triple any sentence imposed if he is convicted in any of the four cases
he now faces.
He was convicted of possession of explosives in 1990 and marijuana
possession in 1988 and 1989.
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