Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Kidnapping, rape suspect strips naked in front of jury
Victor Pena was previously escorted out of the courtroom for multiple verbal outbursts.
Victor Pena, the Charlestown man accused of abducting and raping a woman in 2019, appeared naked on a courtroom monitor Wednesday, disrupting jury selection.
Pena, 42, was watching the proceedings from another room after being removed from the courtroom on Tuesday. He appeared naked on the monitor while a judge addressed a group of potential jurors, according to WCVB. The jurors saw him perform an obscene act, and the video feed was cut off after about 16 seconds.
The group of potential jurors was led out of the courtroom and dismissed before another pool was brought in. Pena will continue to observe the court proceedings from another room, but will not appear on a courtroom monitor again, officials told WCVB.
Advertisement:
This incident comes on the heel of several outbursts Pena made Tuesday before he was removed from the courtroom. After the first potential juror took the stand, Pena started arguing with the judge and asked for a new attorney, according to CBS Boston.
On Monday, Pena also slowed down court proceedings. During a closed-door mental health hearing, he made numerous loud outbursts in Spanish that could be heard outside the courtroom, according to The Boston Globe. Pena had been staying at Bridgewater State Hospital for a weeklong mental health evaluation before this week. A judge ruled Monday that he is competent to stand trial.
Advertisement:
In 2019, Pena allegedly kidnapped a 23-year-old woman after she left a bar near Faneuil Hall. She was allegedly held against her will for two days and repeatedly raped by Pena. He took the woman’s phone, but she was eventually able to activate it and steer police towards Pena’s apartment, WBUR reported.
While the woman was at Pena’s apartment, he allegedly told her that he “rescued” her and said that the two would start a family together, according to NBC 10.
He allegedly made her drink alcohol and gave her no food except canned pineapple, according to WCVB. Pena allegedly took multiple photos of the woman, which prosecutors plan to use as evidence.
Pena’s brother previously told the Globe that Pena’s mental abilities were impacted at about 7 years old when a medical issue cut off oxygen to Pena’s brain.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com