Peekskill man charged with child rape

Accused allegedly raped a child in a building where he worked as a painter

On September 13, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and Peekskill Police Chief Leo Dylewski announced that a man hired to paint apartments in Peekskill had been arrested and charged with the rape of a child.

DA Rocah said: “We know how difficult it is for young victims to come forward. The District Attorney’s Office stands ready to support victims and their families in any way possible and thanks the Peekskill Police Department for their support.”

Chief Dylewski said: “The City of Peekskill Police Department is committed to protecting our children and will use all available resources to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of these acts.”

The defendant, 59-year-old Anselmo Yambay Pena of Peekskill, was arraigned on a charge of first-degree aggravated rape on Sept. 10 before Judge Reginald Johnson in Peekskill Municipal Court.

Bail was set at $50,000 cash, $200,000 surety bond and $350,000 partially secured bond at 10%. The prosecution requested that the defendant be remanded in custody. The defendant is due back in court on October 15.

As alleged in the criminal complaint, between February 15 and March 31, the defendant raped a child under the age of 13 in a residence in the city of Peekskill where the defendant worked as a painter.

When the child’s parents learned of the incident, they reported it to Peekskill Police, who began an investigation and arrested the defendant on September 10.

Anyone who may have been a victim of the defendant or has information about other possible victims of the defendant may contact the Peekskill Police Department at (914) 737-8000 or the District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Division at (914) 995-3000. Language assistance is available.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Baehr of the Child Abuse Bureau in the Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges against the defendant are merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.