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Woman Raped at Knifepoint in Putnam Valley
Town man arrested in attack on acquaintance in her home
A Putnam Valley man has been arrested and charged with raping a female acquaintance at knifepoint in Putnam Valley on February 22, 2007. Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith reports that Mr. Jason Smith, aged 22, of Putnam Valley, is accused of raping the woman in her Church Road home on February 25, 2007. Authorities apprehended Mr. Smith in the City of White Plains on February 27th.
Mr. Smith allegedly attacked the victim, who is 24 years old, while visiting her home. He reportedly held the woman in the home against her will for several hours and forcibly committed rape and other sexual acts upon her. During the incident, Mr. Smith allegedly grabbed two knives from the kitchen and held them to the woman's skin, inflicting minor abrasions and lacerations to her chest and legs. Mr. Smith's restraint over the woman ended when he had her drive him to a bus stop in Peekskill, where he boarded a bus bound for lower Westchester County.
The victim consequently reported the assault to the Sheriffs Department. Two days after the attack, lead Investigator Christopher Spiconardi and other sheriff's investigators, along with members of the City of While Plains and Village of Pleasantville Police Departments and Westchester County Probation Department, located Mr. Smith in the City of White Plains and took him into custody there.
The defendant was charged with Rape in the First Degree, Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. The rape and sexual act charges are class B felonies, which are punishable by up to twenty-five years' imprisonment and maximum fines of $5,000 on each count. The assault and weapon possession charges are class D felonies and are each punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment and fines of up to $5,000.
Mr. Smith is currently under probation in Westchester County for a 2004 conviction for criminal mischief. In that case, he pled guilty to setting fire to a girlfriend's backpack during a domestic dispute inside a White Plains apartment house.
Mr. Smith was arraigned before Putnam Valley Town Justice Louis DiCarlo. The justice remanded the defendant to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 cash bail or $400,000 bail bond, directed him to return to court on March 8th at 9:30am for a felony hearing, and issued an order of protection barring him from going near the victim. The defendant remains in the jail as of March 2nd.
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