PHILADELPHIA – A man charged with brutalizing and repeatedly raping an 11-year-old Philadelphia girl has been sentenced to at least 30 years in prison after trying in vain to retract his guilty plea.
A judge in Philadelphia denied a request by 27-year-old Jose Carrasquillo (kair-uh-SKEE'-oh) to withdraw the plea Tuesday.
A vigilante mob had severely beaten Carrasquillo in June 2009 after recognizing a police sketch of the girl's assailant.
He was arrested a few days later after DNA linked him to the attack, which he told police was the result of a drug-fueled rage.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Carrasquillo yelled in court Tuesday that he would be vindicated if given a lie detector test. Instead, the judge sentenced him to 30 to 66 years behind bars.
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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com
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