Pa. man retracts guilty plea in rape of girl, 11

PHILADELPHIA – A man charged with brutalizing and repeatedly raping an 11-year-old Philadelphia girl has stunned a courtroom by retracting his guilty plea on sentencing day.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jose Carrasquillo (kair-uh-SKEE'-oh) was to be sentenced Tuesday for last year's attack. He had previously told police the attack was the result of a drug-fueled rage.

Instead, Carrasquillo withdrew his plea. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he said he would be vindicated if given a lie detector test.

Carrasquillo was arrested in June 2009 and charged with rape and other counts. Before that, a vigilante mob severely beat him after recognizing a police sketch of the suspect.

Carrasquillo could face life in prison because of the victim's age and the fact that she was seriously injured.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com