A Batavia man who admitted to taking a 14-year-old Byron girl to Pennsylvania on November 29, 2018, causing an Amber Alert and manhunt, was scheduled to be sentenced today in Genesee County Court, but he refused to leave the jail and appear in court.
Guillermo Torres-Acevedo, 23, abducted the teen that morning near Byron-Bergen high school. Torres-Acevedo and the 14 year old girl were found later that afternoon by police in a Mansfield, Pennsylvania Walmart parking lot.
In December of 2019, Acevedo pleaded guilty to rape 2nd, a class D violent felony, in satisfaction of a 13 count indictment in Genesee County Court.
Acevedo’s attorney Thomas Burns told the court Tuesday afternoon that he was requesting an adjournment in the sentencing based on new documents and information that has now been located in Puerto Rico in regards to abuse Acevedo suffered as a child. The information is being requested to be part of the pre-sentence report. Burns also asked to speak to his client in regards to refusing to appear in court. Acevedo is an American citizen.
District Attorney Larry Friedman argued that Acevedo be brought over by force and requested that an order be signed.
Judge Charles Zambito allowed Burns to speak to Acevedo over the phone. Acevedo then changed his mind and was then transported from the jail to County Court.
Appearing with Burns was Alexander J. Anzalone, Assistant Federal Public Defender in Acevedo’s federal case. Burns also requested an adjournment because Acevedo had not yet been sentenced in the federal case. Sentencing in the federal case was supposed to be February 13th, it has now been changed to April 16, 2020 at 2:30p.m.
Acevedo pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. in December of 2019 to enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The recommended sentence in the federal case is 78-97 months.
After a meeting in Chambers between Burns, Anzalone and Friedman, Judge Zambito returned to the bench and granted the adjournment based on the new documents and information from Puerto Rico, but not on the promise of concurrent time with the federal charge.
An order was also signed for Acevedo to be brought over by force on his new sentencing date.
He is facing a maximum determinate sentence of 6 years with 10 years post release supervision when he is sentenced on the rape 2nd charge in Genesee County Court on April 20, 2020 at 9:00a.m.
Why was it necessary to include in this article that Acevedo is an American citizen? If he’s originally from Puerto Rico then he’s an American citizen. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. It’s citizens are American citizens. It’s not a separate country as I hope every was taught in geography class. Don’t believe me? Google it.