Roosevelt Man Convicted of Robbery, Kidnapping, Rape

Pearce broke into woman’s house, stole ATM cash and raped victim at gunpoint

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a jury has found Christopher Pearce guilty of breaking into a Roosevelt home and leading a 39-year-old mother of two on an hour-long robbery spree that ended with Pearce raping and sodomizing the woman at gunpoint in an underground parking garage in Freeport.

Christopher Pearce, 29, of Roosevelt, has been convicted of Rape in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree, and Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree.  The jury’s verdict follows eight days of testimony in Nassau County Court.  The jury took seven hours before reaching their unanimous verdict. 

Nassau County Court Judge Joseph Calabrese presided over the trial and is scheduled to sentence the defendant June 12.  Pearce faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison on each of the rape, robbery, burglary and criminal sexual act convictions.

Rice said that on August 30, 2007, Pearce broke into a Roosevelt home. While her three-year-old child slept in the same bed with her and her teenage son slept in a room in a different part of the home, Pearce entered the bedroom of their then 38-year-old mother, woke her up, and demanded money from her.  At gunpoint, Pearce forced her to drive to two nearby ATMs to withdraw money. After making two separate $300 withdrawals, she could no longer withdraw any money and Pearce ordered her to drive into an apartment building’s parking garage in Freeport where he raped and sodomized the woman at gunpoint. He then forced her to drive back to her home, where he left her without clothing.

“This defendant deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life,” said Rice.  “This crime is every person’s worst nightmare.  Holding this defendant accountable for his heinous actions is the first step to ensuring that he will never be able to do this to anyone ever again.”

Handling the case for the District Attorney’s Office is Assistant District Attorney and Deputy Bureau Chief of the DA’s Special Victims Bureau, Stephen Antignani.  Pearce is being represented by Steven R. Barnwell, Esq.