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Ricardo Amaya, 31, was also convicted of dragging the victim from the home they shared and acting as if he was going to bury her alive, prosecutors said.
A Hall County Superior Court jury found Amaya guilty of rape, kidnapping, battery and aggravated assault following a four-day trial prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Wanda Vance, District Attorney Lee Darragh said Tuesday.
According to court testimony, Amaya and the victim lived together with other roommates in a South Hall home when, on March 1, he dragged her from the house to a nearby woodline, where he threw dirt and pine straw on her.
“She thought she was going to be killed,” Darragh said.
Five days later, Amaya woke the victim up in the middle of the night, raped her repeatedly and beat her, Darragh said. Later the same day, Amaya and the victim were in a car together when she spotted a sheriff’s deputy at a fire station, drove over to him and flagged him down.
When the deputy saw the woman’s injuries, he arrested Amaya on the spot, Darragh said.
Amaya admitted to most of the charges but denied the rape, claiming the sex was consensual, Darragh said. The woman had injuries consistent with rape, according to court testimony.
Amaya did not testify during the trial.
The jury of seven men and five women deliberated about four hours before reaching a verdict.
Judge Jason Deal imposed a life sentence in the rape case, with 32 years in prison and the remainder on probation. Additional prison time for the other charges was to be served concurrently. At least 25 years of the prison term must be served under mandatory-minumum sentencing laws.
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