A Lancaster man on trial this week for raping a woman decided to plead guilty after 2½ days of testimony.
Kenny Padilla-Pineda pleaded guilty to rape and related counts after a local jury heard testimony from the victim and other witnesses.
Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle sentenced Padilla-Pineda, 22, to 4½ to 9 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick told jurors that Padilla-Pineda called 911 after assaulting the woman and told a dispatcher, “I did something bad.”
Padilla-Pineda then arrived at the Lancaster city police station and confessed to assaulting the woman.
ADA Haverstick said at sentencing that Padilla-Pineda listened to testimony and “knew what was coming” - referring to a verdict.
The assault happened July 17, 2019, as the victim was sleeping at a Lancaster city home. She woke up, realized what had happened and verbally confronted Padilla-Pineda. He told her what he did.
Lancaster city police Officer Jessica Higgins, who filed charges, was on the witness stand Wednesday morning when Padilla-Pineda decided to lodge a plea.
After Padilla-Pineda waived a pre-sentence investigation, Judge Sponaugle imposed sentence.
Padilla-Pineda gave several statements to police. In the first interview, he told investigators, “I had sex with her; she didn’t have sex with me.” ADA Haverstick played that statement for jurors.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright