A Honduran national was indicted for allegedly raping an unconscious man behind a dumpster outside a restaurant in Amityville and then beating him violently when he tried to resist.
On March 27 at approximately 11:43 p.m., Jose Ignacio Bonilla Garcia arrived at Esperanza Deli Café in Amityville, where he allegedly first encountered the victim. At approximately 4:00 a.m., the defendant and the victim left the restaurant separately and had a conversation outside.
During that exchange, the victim, who was intoxicated, suddenly collapsed. Subsequently, Jose Bonilla Garcia allegedly dragged the unresponsive victim behind a dumpster at the rear of the location, where he allegedly raped him. During the sexual assault, the victim regained consciousness and attempted to fight off Bonilla Garcia, but the defendant allegedly punched the victim and beat him with a large piece of wood until the victim became unresponsive once again. Following the assault, Bonilla Garcia allegedly fled the location and left the victim bloodied and battered in the parking lot.
The victim was discovered hours later by a delivery driver who called 911. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and received a sexual assault examination, from which forensic evidence was recovered. Additionally, the investigation revealed surveillance footage, which allegedly captured the vicious rape of the unresponsive victim and the subsequent assault.
In the aftermath of the incident, members of the Suffolk County Police Department worked with members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to identify and locate the defendant. After determining Bonilla Garcia’s identity, it was learned that the defendant allegedly fled the jurisdiction on a Greyhound Bus. He was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Rosenberg, Texas, allegedly heading in the direction of the Southern border. Thereafter, following coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office, Bonilla Garcia was extradited back to Suffolk County.
On April 27, Bonilla Garcia, 32, was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis for two counts of Rape in the First Degree, Class B violent felonies, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D felony. Wilutis ordered Bonilla Garcia remanded during the pendency of the case.
“Accountability for perpetrators of sexual violence is not just a legal obligation, but also a moral one,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “My office will do everything in its power to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts are held accountable, not just for the sake of justice, but to protect others and to send a clear message that these crimes will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. In addition to my prosecution team and the Suffolk County Police Department, I would like to thank the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals for their assistance in bringing this defendant to justice.”
He is due back in court on May 28 and faces 25 years in prison if convicted on the top count. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has lodged a detainer to deport Bonilla Garcia following this prosecution.